In My Life
by Im.Just.Like.Me
Summary: A lot of things were wrong in her life, but maybe, just maybe, he could be the one right thing. Troyella. GPOV. To be continued?
1. Chapter 1

**I shouldn't be doing this. I always neglect my other stories when I star a new one. But, I already have five chapters of this written, so it shouldn't effect too bad.**

**Here is my next story. This is very personal for me. Don't let this make you not read, but I am making this story based of my life. My life is very dramatic (too dramatic for my liking), and it came to me one day to turn it in to a Troyella story. I don't know how often chapters will be, I don't know if I will even post this, but I feel like I have to.**

**Summary:** A lot of things were wrong in her life, but maybe, just maybe, he could be the one right thing. Troyella.

**Review please.**

**Note that while this is based off my life, I am taking some things out, putting some things in, and embelishing at times. I will tell you what is real and what isn't.**

**Characters:  
Lauren: Adrienne Bailon  
Antonio(Tony): Micheal Copon  
Nick: Ryan Sypek**

**Sorry for all the description, and little less talking. It happens with my first chapters. I'll get to be a lot more talking in the next chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from HSM, just my ideas for the characters.  
**

* * *

I have a routine. Everyday, well, every morning, I do the same thing. I have learned from experience that when my routine does not happen, bad things happen to me during the day. I forget a test, homework, get yelled at for something idiotic, I trip on the steps, something.

I get up, I go to the bathroom, get dressed, do my hair (which can take a while) I go downstairs, I turn on the computer, put my make up on, get some cereal, put on my iPod, surf the Internet for a good fifteen minutes, then leave for the bus.

That didn't happen today. Well, it did, right up to the surf the Internet part. My mom woke up sometime during my getting ready process, and came downstairs. I wake myself up, I'm seventeen, and my mother trusts me to do it. I don't like missing school, I'm a geek, I know. She came down, started making coffee, and like usual, started bitching.

"Why do you have to get on the computer so early? Why do you pour all that milk in the bowl if you never drink it all? It wastes money. What time does the bus come? You better not miss it," she went on, and I ignored her. She is not usually this bitchy, she is just not a morning person. School starts at seven thirty, and my bus comes at six forty five. Early, I know, I wake up at six. My mom, Maria, doesn't go to work until eight, so she isn't up until seven. We don't usually see each other until she gets home from work between four and six.

I didn't get a chance to go to all my usual websites (I am addicted to the computer), therefore, at six forty when I left for the bus stop, I knew my day was fucked. Something was going to happen. I am superstitious. One time, I didn't turn on the computer at all because I woke up late, and one of my brothers got arrested, the house got raided, and he went to jail for six months. See? Bad things. Well, being away from him isn't really a bad thing on my part, but that would go in the bad thing category. Me and my brother don't get along.

I was the last one to the bus stop when I am usually the first, which kinda pissed me off. I live in a townhouse neighborhood, along with a bunch of over sized houses, and apparently, all anyone does here is reproduce. There are so many kids on my bus it's not even funny. There are three to a seat, girls sitting on boy's laps, papers being thrown, words being yelled. Me, I sit near the back, always next to the window, my iPod always on full blast, and everyone looking at me like I am a pod person because I don't make noise, I don't sit on other boy's laps when they ask me to, I barely speak.

My school district is huge, so getting off the bus, and getting into the school is not fun. A lot of elbow jabs, pushing past people, and getting hit in the shoulders. Again, it's not fun. East High is crazy, and sports obsessed. If you don't like or play sports, your nothing. I guess that makes me nothing.

My friends and I hang out at the same place every morning. Because we are all wearing black, mostly, and are a little on the weird side, we get called emos, and goths. So, the place we hang out every morning is called the emo corner. We like the name, we practically picked it out.

I went to my locker first, my iPod still on, and grabbed what I would need for my first five periods of the day. I was wearing a pair of dark, almost black, nicely tight jeans, and a black and white concert jersey that showed my upper curves. A concert jersey is one of those shirts that have a different color sleeve, and it's a three quarter length sleeve. It has white sleeves, and a black main part, and said The Beatles on the front. The shirt was a little old, and didn't fit as well as it once did, so you could see a thin strip on my stomach. Along, of course, with my high top black and white converse.

My best friend, Taylor, met me at my locker. That doesn't usually happen, but hey, I don't care. My day is already fucked. Taylor and I have known each other since eighth grade, but we didn't close until sophomore year, and now she's my best friend. I spend most weekends at her house, we talk all the time, she's in half my classes, my lunch, and she's really the only person who knows all my problems. Well, most of them.

"Something bad is going to happen today," I informed her, closing my locker. She looked at me questioningly. "My mom messed up the routine!" I exclaimed.

Taylor let out a laugh. "You really have to get over this routine thing," she commented as we started walking down the hall. "It's like those haunted pajamas you have," she told me.

"Hey!" I interjected, stopping her. "Those pajamas are haunted," I stated. "I wore them once, my grandmother died, I wore them again and my parents got separated," I reminded her.

"Well, they don't fit anymore, do they?" Taylor questioned, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's not the point, the point is that if they did fit, something monumental would happen in my life," I replied. "Like, Eve will go into early labor, and my nephew will be premature, and that would be bad! Tony was premature, you know," I told her. Okay, so maybe he was only five weeks early and didn't need an incubator, she doesn't know that. I think. Tony is my brother, he's twenty one, and expecting a baby with his nineteen year old girlfriend, Eve. She's about six months along now. Eve is kinda a bitch to begin with, but we get along most of the time. I don't like the way she speaks to my brother. Tony is one of those sensitive guys. Even he has said he was a girl in the womb, and came out a boy. (Thank God he wasn't, PMS for three at once is already bad enough.)

Taylor rolled her eyes this time. "Oookay, come on," she urged, grabbing my arm so we would start walking again.

"Do you remember the last time I missed my routine, Tay?" I asked her, pulling my bag strap further up on my shoulder. I don't carry a purse or a book bag, I carry a huge purse like thing that can fit all my school stuff.

"If you ask me, something good happened," she mumbled a reply. Taylor hates my brother Nick, he's nineteen, and the one who has been to jail. She only hates him because he is such a dick, not only to me, but to her, and ninety percent of the people he comes in contact with. He got taken to jail for selling and buying drugs, and intimidation of a witness. He was in for six months, and about two weeks after he got out, he was back to doing drugs. I didn't see the point, it didn't teach him anything.

Nick is the sibling closest to me in age. It goes Lauren, Tony, Nick, then me, Gabriella. Lauren is exactly six years older than me (we have the same birthday), Tony is about four years, and Nick is about two years. Lauren, Nick, and I live with my mom. Tony moved down the street with Eve, and my dad lives with his girlfriend, Erin. My parents separated with I was in fifth grade, and are getting a divorce. They practically already are, they just haven't filed for the paper work. I'm not exactly sure why, it's about damn time if you ask me. My dad moved out when I was in seventh grade, and had a new girlfriend within the month. His name is Antonio, that's Tony's name too, but Tony isn't a junior, they have different middle names.

To recap my family quickly, my dad is an ex-alcoholic, an ass, and doesn't pay my child support. My mom can go wacky a lot of the time (like not in a good way), is in love with The Beatles, can flip from being nice to being a total bitch in one point two seconds, and I love her to death. My sister is a bit controlling, has mild OCD, and takes on way too much, thus giving her anxiety attacks. She's addicted to the t.v., and is a vet tech. We get along most of the time. My oldest brother Tony is expecting a baby, has a felony, but the felony is Nick's fault, really. He is senstive, like I told you, but he isn't gay. Nick is a complete and total dick, and sometimes, I am afraid of him. He went to jail, like I said. He brought Valium to school to sell once, Tony found out that he had it, took it off of him, and got caught with it, thus getting the felony. I love Nick, he's my brother, but I don't like who he is.

"Tay, he's my brother," I responded as we walked towards the emo corner.

"That doesn't mean he should treat you like crap," Taylor told me.

I sighed. "I know he shouldn't, but he still looks out for me, doesn't he?" I questioned her. One time, freshman year, some kid kept making fun of me in art class. I went home and told my brother's all about it, because they were talking about them, making fun of them, too. Saying that Tony got caught with acid, and not Valium, and that they are pussies. The kid came to my house one day for weed. Tony sold him oregano for twenty bucks, and gave me the money. Then, when he kept doing it, Nick got a job were the kid was working, and threatened him, telling him that if he kept messing with me, he would have to deal with him. The kid quickly stopped.

The little threatening act got around school, and a lot of guys are afraid to be mean to me. I'm a Montez, and that means a lot around here. A lot of bad things. Still, some guys are asses, you can't help that. "You have your sibling protecting thing going on, so we should just stop this before we get into a fight," Tay said.

I know my brother is a dick, and I know he's really mean to me, and most others around him. I don't even like him, but I don't like talking bad about him. I don't like admitting it to other people around me. I love her for actually seeing it, and not ignoring it like other people do. "Where's Chad?" I asked her, knowing where Taylor is, Chad follows.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know, he'll show up sometime," she replied, annoyance in her voice as we stopped at the emo corner. I dropped my bag on the floor, and it leaned against the wall. Ryan and Kelsi were already there, lost in their own little couple world. The popular kids were making themselves known down the hall, being loud, and hormonal. The loudest and horniest of them all was Sharpay Evans, Ryan's older sister by a year. Sharpay and I used to be best friend's, but now she is just another face in the a hall.

"I sense a tiff," I stated, leaning back against the windowsill. The wall has window's all across, and a ledge people can sit on if they want.

"A tiff?" Taylor questioned in a laugh. I nodded. "Maybe there is, don't worry about it," she told me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Don't worry about it? You two are in half my classes, and you two fighting is not fun for me," I reminded her. "What happened over the weekend?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Exactly that, nothing, we didn't talk once," she informed me. "He didn't text, he didn't call, he did even IM me," she listed off. IM? Whatever.

"Well-"

Taylor interrupted. "It pisses me off!" she exploded, and I nodded, stepping back. "We've been together for a year and a half, Gabi!" she went on. "Over a year! He didn't even try to contact me over the weekend.." she ranted on.

I listened to her for another three minutes or so, and just nodded along. "Hey, Gab," I suddenly heard in my ear, scaring me, so I stepped away, onto my bag, and tripped, hitting my head on the windowsill as I went down. Laughter exploded throughout the hall. Great, just wonderful.

Ugh, I knew my day was fucked. This is just the beginning. "Damn my mother," I muttered to myself, holding my head where I hit it. Thank God this is all this is right now. I could have ripped my pants or something. People will forget about my fall by third period.

"Shit, sorry, Gab," Chad apologized through a laugh. Chad's my closest friend next to Taylor. I've known him longer, I even introduced him to Taylor. People mistake us for dating sometimes, which amuses Taylor. She knows I think of him as my guy best friend, and that is all.

I saw black converse in front of me. "Are you okay?" someone I don't know asked.

"If you mean my head, then yes," I answered, lifting my head up, and saw the unknown person. I blinked a couple times, seeing if this mirage of a person was going to leave. How hard did I hit my head? Is he real? Or am I in some fantasy land where this really, really, really hott guy appeared? If I did, I want to stay here. I reached my hand forward and poked him. "You're real," I said under my breath.

"Ah, yeah, have been for a couple years now," unknown guy replied with a goofy grin. Oh, shit. He heard that? "Do you want help up, or do you want to stay down here?" he questioned, holding a hand out. I only realized now, Chad and Taylor were fighting, and Kelsi and Ryan were still practically making out. It's so nice of them to not care.

"Oh. Yeah," I answered, making him hold a hand out to help me up. I took it, and he easily pulled me up to my feet. I looked into the guy's eyes, my thoughts all focused on the fact that he was touching my hand with his. Well, that, and that his eyes were the bluest eyes I have ever seen. For some odd reason, my stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, and my heart was beating fast. I cleared my throat, and pulled my hand from his, then scratched my head. "Who-who are you?" I stuttered out.

He grinned again. "I'm Troy, I just moved here," he answered, leaning against the windowsill. "Who are you?" he asked in reply.

The bell ran above us. "I'm, I'm gonna be late for class," I mumbled, reaching for my bag and left. 'I'm gonna be late for class'? What the hell is that? That's not a name! I have art first period! I'm always late to class, Mr. Waters doesn't care. I could have stayed, I should have stayed. I should have at least said my name. I'm retarded. He had the prettiest blue eyes, and the best face ever, too.

I went right into the art room, and sat down at my table, then proceeded to bang my head against it. "Gabi, what are you doing?" I heard Taylor ask a moment later. Oh, Taylor's here. Then, she stuck her hand down on the table, and I banged my head against it.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, stopping, and held my forehead in pain. "You're wearing a ring, Taylor!" I informed her, making her laugh.

"Sorry, what are you doing that for?" she questioned.

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. "Because my mother ruined my routine," I answered in a whine.

"Gabi, you fell, so what?" Taylor replied, a slight smile on her face. "You fell two weeks ago on the stairs remember?" she questioned. "Like, hardcore, down the steps, butt in the air, papers flying everywhere-"

"I know, Tay, I was there," I cut her off, annoyed now. "Chad didn't call you all weekend," I reminded her, and she instantly glared. "Yeah, go fight or something," I mumbled. The bell rang above us again, and Chad walked in the art room the last minute. Guess with who, damn it!? The really hott guy I poked, and told him my name is Gonna Be Late For Class. "I need paint," I stated, standing up, and walked across the room to the paint bottles and the sinks. I don't even need paint, I already finished my art project, it's due Wednesday. So, I have two days to doodle, and sleep.

Since I didn't actually need paint, I just stood there, and held a paint bottle full of red paint. "I have a question," I heard behind me, making me drop the bottle into the sink. "Who names their child Gonna Be Late For Class?" Troy questioned.

I turned to him. "Gabriella," I replied. Wait, that isn't the right answer. "That's my name, I mean. Gabriella, not Gon-"

Troy started laughing. "I know, Chad told me," he cut me off.

I was confused. I never really froze up around guys. I have older brother's, so they bring hott guy friends over. I don't freak out, I don't tell them the wrong name, I don't freeze up. Hell, I flirt when I feel I have the confidence to do it. Then again, I really don't think I've ever been around someone as good looking as Troy. I never noticed before, but Troy is a nice name. I don't know any Troy's. I've seen the movie, that's it. One syllable, so easy. Mine is, like, four. Damn my mother twice today.

"Troy is a nice name," I blurted out, then cursed myself while blushing

It made Troy laugh again. "Thanks," he replied. "Gabriella's a nice name, too," he complimented.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned him.

"I told you, I just transferred," he told me.

I shook my head. "No, what are you doing over here," I corrected. "Near me," I added. "Shouldn't you be talking to the teacher or something?" I asked.

Troy shrugged. "If he wants to talk to me, he'll ask for me, won't he?" he responded simply. "And, I'm over here because Chad and what's her name are fighting over there," he mentioned, and I looked towards Taylor, who was indeed fighting with Chad.

"Taylor," I spoke up. "Her name is Taylor," I said. "So," I cleared my throat awkwardly. "You're a junior?" I wondered.

Troy nodded. "Yep," he agreed. "I should be a senior, though," he told me. I looked into his eyes. "I failed fourth grade," he explained.

"How do you fail fourth grade?" I asked before thinking about it, then felt bad about it. I mean, it's not like fourth grade is the easiest grade. It's not like kindergarten. What if he has some type of learning disorder, and I just offended him badly? Nice job, Gab!

Troy smiled though. Smiling is good. "Everyone asks that question," he said in a laugh, and threw his head to the side so his hair wasn't in his face. He has nice hair, too. It's a chestnaut color, and is semi-short on the sides with one handfull that fell down into his eyes. "I had moved in the middle of the year, my new school was more academic, I fell behind, and got held back. It was all for the better, though, I'm pretty good at school without even trying now," he answered with a crooked grin on his face.

"In fourth grade I called the cops to see what would happen," I confessed. Oh, God. I really need to get a filter for my mouth.

"Why would you call the cops to see what would happen?" he questioned. "Isn't it kind of obvious?" he added.

I shrugged, trying not to blush. "My best friend at the time dared me, and I was home sick one day, and decided to do it," I told him. Troy laughed again. "No, it's not funny, my mother didn't talk to me for two months," I said seriously.

"Bolton? Ah, Troy Bolton?" Mr. Waters called out, and Troy pushed off the counter.

"That's me," he stated. "Nice talking to you, Brie. You're a pretty interesting person," he told me before walking over to the teacher.

A pretty interesting person? Is that the kind of thing you want to be called by a abnormally hott guy? I guess, as long as it is good interesting, not weird interesting. Wait. Was is good interesting or weird interesting? Damn it. I went back over to my table, and found that Chad and Taylor were done fighting.

Chad looked at me when I sat down. "How do you like Troy? I saw sparks flying over there," he said like a girl.

I crinkled my eyes together before laughing. "Sparks flying? Uh, I don't think so. I just said a bunch of stupid shit together and made a total ass of myself," I commented.

"And, it was all because your mother ruined your routine," Taylor told me.

I nodded. "Exactly."

Troy ended up talking to Mr. Waters until the end of class. Not that I was watching or anything. In the hall, he informed us he had Spanish second period, and guess what, so did we. I then took his schedule, without asking, and realized he was in more than half my classes. Great. Now, I have to be a bumbling idiot all day. At lunch, I decided to stop talking. During the day, I ended up telling him about the time I walked into a door, ran into a parked car on rollarblades, plus the time I walked through a screen door. Each time he did his little chuckle, his very cute chuckle with his crooked grin.

I've never been around someone as hott as him, but I am not usually this stupid around hott guys. I came to the conclusion that I probably-most likely like him during lunch and I saw Sharpay sink her teeth into him, and it irked me a little. Th fact that it irked me, irked me. I've known this guy, what? A couple hours? I didn't know anything about him, he on the other hand, knew almost every stupid thing I have done.

He's just really cute, like no guy should be able to be that cute. It should be against the law. "Gabs, you alright?" Kelsi asked during lunch when she noticed I was being quiet. That is unusual for me. Usually, you can't stop me from talking.

I made a bad face. I hate that nickname. Gabs. I don't get it, it's like plural, and I am only one person. I nodded anyways.

"You can't speak or something?" Ryan questioned.

It got Taylor's attention. "Crosby got your tongue?" she teased.

I instantly glared. "I hate that fucking cat," I stated.

"Ouch, isn't that a bit mean?" Troy asked, turning the chair around next to me, and straddled it at the table. He went up with Sharpay to get food. She went back to her table with all her cool senior friends. Yeah, Sharpay is a senior, head cheerleader, and truthfully, a complete bitch. She used to be besties when we were kids, but as we got older, she changed. Becoming popular was something she always dreamed of when we were best friends. I just thought she would take me with her. I was wrong. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss her. Sometimes, when I see her in the hall, our eyes meet, and I think maybe, just maybe, there is a chance she can be my friend again. Then, she looks away, and walks past me without a word. I feel a lesbian vibe emanating off that sentence. Fear not, I'm straight. "It's just a cat," he said simply.

I shook my head. "No, it isn't. That thing is a menace, and I hate him," I replied, making Taylor laugh. "It chews all cords it sees. I gets into everything, it scratches when you try to pick him up, it bites too, and it hates me back," I informed him.

"I have a dog," Troy told me with a nod. "Her name is Puppy," he added, making me laugh.

"I have three," I replied. "Saffy, Harley, and Foxy. Then, I have four cats, Thea, Izzy, Pheobe, and Crosby. And, I have one bird, Shamus," I told him. "Who names their dog Puppy?" I questioned him.

"We got him when I was ten, jeez," he mumbled back, opening the coke he got.

I nodded. "Yeah, you were ten," I said. Shouldn't he be old enough by ten not to name his dog Puppy?

"Well, you ran into a door once," he teased, making me whine, and drop my head to the table. "Why the hell do you have so many animals, anyways?" he asked.

"Four are her sister's," Kelsi answered for me.

"She's a vet tech," Taylor added.

I lifted my head up. "What they said," I agreed. "My sister randomly adopts animals once in a while, our newest addition is Crosby," I told him. "He's still a kitten."

Ryan looked up from his conversation with Chad. "So, Troy, why'd you move here?" he asked him.

"I actually grew up here," Troy answered, sipping on his water. "I moved in fourth grade when my mom got a job offer. My mom got another job offer to come back here, along with my dad, so they decided it would be better all around to just move to where they would be working. I moved into the house next to Chad," he mentioned. That's a big house, I'm just saying, or thinking. Whatever.

"You live near Gabi, then," Taylor spoke up.

Chad nodded. "Troy has a car, so we can pick you up in the morning, Gabs," he said with his mouth full, then swallowed. "Gabi lives in the townhouses," he told Troy. I live in the same neighborhood as Chad, but our neighborhood is huge, so we ride different buses. They are both overflowing with kids, though.

"Cool, I can give you a lift home today if you want," Troy suggested, looking over at me. I wasn't sure. Do I really want him to know where I live? Yeah, because he is some serial killer who is going to hack me to pieces. Well, then again, you never know with people these days. I am going crazy. "Hey, you in there?" he asked after I went silent for a minute or two.

I glanced back at him. "Uh, sure," I answered just as the bell rang. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Even though I saw Troy's schedule, I didn't realize what classes he was in with me. He's in my first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth. Which are art, Spanish, English, gym (which will be health next semester. We don't technically have the same teacher, but we do a lot of the same activties), chemistry, and history. I have A's in practically all my classes, but I'm not in any of the honors classes besides Math and English. Some math comes easy to me, some doesn't. I did pretty well last year, so my teacher reccommended that I be in the honors class, so I am. There is a ton of homework for it, two tests a week, and I royally hate it. I am actually pulling a low B in it. I love writing, and reading, and English, so I am in the honor's class. I have a nice A in it. Troy's in it, too.

I write a lot, it's a hobbie, but I don't show many people what I write because I think it sucks. I mostly write on the Internet, and recently, I've been showing it to Taylor. She helps me with it.

After school ended, I led Troy to my locker, and put everything in it I wouldn't need. I had taken to not talking to him since lunch. It wasn't that hard, in chemistry we took notes, and in history we worked from the book. "Are you mad at me?" he asked as we waited at my locker for Chad to come.

My head snapped up, and I looked into his eyes. "Huh?" I mumbled back, surprised by the question.

"Did I say something to you today that pissed you off?" he rephrased, his hands in his pockets. I didn't say anything, just shook my head. "Then why the hell aren't you talking?" he asked.

"I- no reason," I told him. "Just thinking. Sorry," I mumbled, slamming my locker shut.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a high pitched voice I knew all too well was heard. "Troy!" Sharpay exclaimed, walking over to him, completely ignoring me in the process. I stepped aside, and felt my self-esteem lowering by the milisecond. I should be used to it by now. Sharpay gets everything she wants.

I moved away from my locker, and leaned against the wall, waiting for my friends. I suspected that they were too busy making out somewhere, that is why they are taking so long. I really didn't want to keep listening to Troy and Sharpay flirt, which they were, and sit there feeling like an idiot. I put my iPod in, and cranked it up high before walking away. I know my friend's will understand. Sometimes they take too long, and I am not a patient person. They know I'm not mad they let their hormones control them, and they're not mad I just go to my bus. If I am not patient enough to wait for my friend's half the week, I'm defintely not patient enough to wait for Troy and Sharpay finish flirting, and him to remember I was there. I know I told him he could take me home, but at the moment, I didn't care. I was a little pissed he just forgot all about me the moment the Ice Queen showed up. Like Tony, I'm sensitive.

My bus is about as far away from the school as it possibly can be. I walked slowly, dodging paper airplanes, rolled up balls of homework, elbows, legs, and tried not to look disgusted by the amount of couples making out in the hall. Shouldn't a teacher see that? Really I've been in a few relationhips, but none lasted long, nor where they at an age I was okay with much happening. My self-esteem, and self-image is seriously low, but I know that I am not the ugliest girl in the world. I have a pretty nice figure (not that I show it off, plus I only know it because even Sharpay looks at my body with eyes of envy), my face is alright if I may say so myself, and I don't think my personality is all that bad.

Still, with all that, I've never really even kissed a boy. Yes, I've been in relationships, so I have kissed, but I've never really been kissed, ya know? Plus a kiss or two from a boy I liked once, but I've never really been kissed to the extent that I am good at it, or it wasn't awkward. Plus, I have a habit for liking my brother's friends, and they aren't the greatest of guys. The most recent one was Jason Cross. I thought he actually liked me at one point. He even took me out once, just to a fast food restaurant, and it was mainly because my brother wasn't home, and we both had time to kill. That night, though, he really seemed interested in me. He held my hand (okay, maybe it was only for a second), he said I was pretty, and even did that thing where he pushed hair behind my ear. But, my brother had a party, and I saw him making out with Sam, one of the whore's at school. I was crushed, and when I see him these days, a nice hello is all I give.

I got on my bus late, but still found an empty seat near the back. I was on the bus five minutes, maybe, when my old ass cell phone buzzed. (It's only three years old, but it a hand-me-down, and I hate it. At least I have unlimited text though.) It was Chad.

_U ridin home wit Troy&me?_

I sighed, and quickly typed in a reply. I used Word (T9, whatever).

_Nah. I'm good on the bus. See you tomorrow. _

I put my phone away after that, and continued listening to my iPod. When I got home, Nick was in the living room, with friend's, like always, and had music blaring. I put my stuff down, and turned the music down a little.

"What the fuck? Did I say you could turn that down?" Nick questioned with a cig in his mouth, and looked at me like I didn't belong in this world. I hate that look, and I get it enough I am starting to believe it.

"No, but we do have neighbors, remember them? The landlord already got enough complaints about the music because of us. Chill," I responded, sitting down on the computer. "You do have a room, you know," I mumbled, logging onto my email. Nick's room is downstairs, and is big, and has two beds, a t.v., Xbox, and stereo. I hate when the music gets too loud. I hate when he has too many friend's over. And, I hate when he makes me look like a joke in front of his friend's. I want them to think I am cool even though I am the furthest thing from it. I'm an emo, unimportant, and sometimes, I think it would be better if I was never born. Nick's said it enough that he's even convincing me. Not even Taylor knows that.

-

The next morning, I woke up on time, and nothing happened in my routine. I was convinced that nothing bad would happen that day. I would go through school unnoticed, like usual, and get home without any major disasters. I should have known that my life isn't that easy. I came into school the next day wearing a pair of nicely fitting red pants, a white tank top, and a black hoodie that didn't cover my stomach all the way, thus the need for the tank top. The sleeves of the sweatshirt stopped at my elbows, and I wore black chunky high heels with it. The few high heels I wear are comfortable. And, the only thing good about not growing in practically four years, is that almost everything still fits. My hair was in it's usual flowing curls, and my make up was light.

I tried to get to my locker, but Sharpay and Troy were flirting at it. They both have their own lockers to flirt at, why do they have to come to mine? Especially when I like Troy (yes, I do) and partially hate Sharpay. I had to get my stuff out of it, though. Neither of them acknowledged me when I walked up to them. "Excuse me," I said loudly, making both their eyes flick to me. Sharpay's were full of hate, and Troy's were.. I don't know. I can't read him yet. "This is my locker, you know," I reminded them.

They both shuffled to the side wordlessly, and continued chatting. I opened my locker, got my shit, and slammed it shut harder than I ever have before, causing them, and everyone around me to jump. "What's your problem?" Sharpay questioned with a mean look.

"I don't have a problem, Blondie," I replied nicely.

"Don't call me that," she said menacingly.

I shrugged, backing up. "Whatever," I muttered, leaving. Sharpay hates being called Blondie, it was her nickname growing up. Her dad called her it, mostly, as a petname, like mine calls me Gabi-Anne. In seventh grade, though, just as we stopped being best friends, her mom found out her dad had been cheating on her with a younger woman for years. Sharpay instantly hated her father, and hates being called Blondie. I was the one she turned to, I was the one she cried with, just like did with her when my parent's split up.

I went straight to the emo corner, and dropped my shit before plopping down onto the ground myself. I leaned back against the wall with my iPod blared, and my eyes closed. I was pissed. I wish I had enough courage to show it. Soon after, I felt an earbud being taken from an ear. "Hey," Taylor greeted, a smile on her face.

"Hi," I replied, sitting up straighter.

"You're late, didn't Troy pick you up today?" she asked me, and I shook my head. "Why not? Chad said they were," she told me.

I shrugged. "Don't know, they didn't show up this morning. It doesn't matter, I don't mind the bus," I assured her. I really don't. I like having half an hour to myself, my thoughts, and good music.

"You okay?" she wondered, worry etched into her face. Taylor may know the most about my life, but she doesn't know EVERYTHING. I stopped completely trusting people after Sharpay. People disappoint you, I learned that from my parents, Sharpay, my siblings, and I don't want to put too much trust in Taylor and be disappointed. I don't think I could take that seeing as I consider her my best friend.

I nodded. "Yeah, it just seems like this week will be a bad one, that's all," I informed her.

"That's all?" Taylor questioned, unsure.

"That's all," I stated, shuffling the songs in my iPod.

Taylor leaned against the wall next to me. "Whatever, you know I'm here if you need me," she said. I watched as Troy and Sharpay walked by, both smiling, and laughing. She had her arm looped through his, and was wearing one of her slutty shirts that showed a shocking amount of cleavage. I'm not sure how she gets away with that. I shook the sad and hurt look off my face because right then, I figured I had no right. I had no right to be hurt because I only met Troy yesterday, and I knew Sharpay would want him as soon as she saw him, junior or not. Besides, I blew off Troy yesterday when he point-blank asked if I wanted a ride home, and I said yes, but left anyways.

What the hell is going on with me? I've known this guy a day, know hardly anything about thim, or who he is, and I am feeling betrayed because he is walking down the hall with my enemy? (Yes, I used the e word.) It's so stupid. He's hott, yeah, and was nice to me, yeah, so what? Maybe I like him, okay, I do, get over it, but I have no ties to him. He can flirt with whomever he likes whenever he likes.

The bell rang a few moments later, and Chad quickly found us to walk to first period with Taylor. Troy was five minutes late to class, stating that he got lost. Mr. Waters actually believed him. I was doing homework I didn't do last night, and pretended not to notice him sit down next to me.

"Why didn't you guys pick up Gabriella this morning?" Taylor immediately asked, glaring at Troy. I love that Taylor is a good best friend like that.

"We went by her bus stop, but the bus already picked her up. If she had her phone on, she would have known what time we were coming," Chad said, giving me a look.

"What?" I asked in an annoyed tone. "My battery ran out last night, and I charged it all night. I only grabbed it before I ran out the door. I haven't even turned it on, yet," I defended myself.

Troy put the pencil he was playing with down. "She would have known what time we were coming to get her if she rode home with us yesterday," he spoke up.

"Why is everyone picking on me today? I'm not a patient person, and I only wait for so long before I give up. And, I can only stomach Pinkie the Ice Queen for so long," I told him, making Taylor and Chad laugh.

Troy couldn't help but chuckle, too. "What is up with you and her? She goes fridgid when you are around," he said to me.

"She's always fridgid," I mumbled under my breath.

"Sharpay and Gabriella are a long story," Chad said for me. "Don't get her into it," he warned, and I sighed. Once I start ranting about Sharpay, I never stop. We all went quiet for a moment. "Why were you hanging out with her today? Sharpay, I mean," he asked.

Troy shrugged, playing with the pencil again. "I don't know, I was waiting for Brie, and she showed up, and she's hott, so," he stopped liked that was an answer. Why was he waiting for me? I'm totally confused now.

"She's still a bitch," Taylor stated, annoyed.

"It's not like I fucked her or anything. We just talked, and I walked her to class," Troy insisted. I knew he didn't just get lost.

"If you want my advice, dude, stay away. It's only a matter of time before someone else catches her eye," Chad informed him.

I snorted. "Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll totally drop you, forgetting everything you've been through, and you can act like total strangers," I said on the up side in a sarcastic tone.

"Gabi," Chad said in warning again.

"Sorry," I apologized, turning off my iPod because I wasn't really listening to it anymore.

Troy looked confused, but didn't say anything about it. "I'm not into her, she's just a flirt, and so am I," he stated. "It's not long before someone catches my eye, too," he added. "Anyways, I'm cutting after fourth, anyone wanna come?" he questioned.

"I will," Chad volunteered.

"No you won't," Taylor informed him. "You skip school, you miss basketball practice today, and you won't be able to start in the next game," she reminded him.

Chad frowned. "Shit, she's right. Sorry, man," he told Troy, and Troy looked towards me.

"Nope," I answered, putting my iPod in my bag. "I don't cut class. I'm the good one, and Tony will kick my ass, literally. He might scream 'finally' first, then kick my ass. That's when my mom will join in," I explained. "Why are you cutting anyways? It's your second day." Plus, I don't want to go because he hardcore ignored me this morning, and acts like everything is okay now. He was waiting for me, that's nice, and I really want to know why, but he didn't even acknowledge me. See, there is that sensitive side showing.

Troy shrugged. "School's boring, and my last school was better in academics than this school, I'm ahead," he answered easily. "Who is Tony?" he wondered.

"My older brother," I told him.

"Fine, if none of you will come with me, I'll go alone."

The rest of the day went along fine. Troy did cut after fourth, and that meant I could actually focus in my classes. Yesterday, while I took to not talking to him, I still looked at him in my peripherial vision, and thought about him. When I got home, music was coming from downstairs, like normal, and the dogs were dying to be let out because Nick never lets them out. Does he ever leave the house? I decided to go into the lion's den. To let the dogs out, I have to go downstairs, to Nick's room, and let them out through the back door.

"Come on, outside," I said to the dogs, making them all stampede downstairs. When I heard them bark, I knew Nick wasn't alone. I went down the steps, and walked through my brother's smoke filled room, smoke that wasn't cigarrette smoke, and tried to ignore him. I opened the door for the dogs.

"Gabriella?" I heard behind me in a cough, and turned to see Troy, on my brother's couch futon, passing a pipe to him. A pipe that I knew had marijuana in it.

Troy's made friends with my brother? Fuck.

* * *

**  
Well, here it is. I like it. I'm not sure when I'll post it....**

**There is not a Troy in my life, wish there was, I know one who I hope will become him.... that's it. Everything else is true.. basically.**

**Review please.**

**-- Kayleigh**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chap. Review please.**

**I hope you all like it.**

**Updates may take a while, because this hard for me, plus a I have other stories and a life.**

**I am a little upset because I didn't get many reviews. I think this is a good story. Do all of you?**

**BTW: Troy's car is the car he has in the Say Okay video. I stuck to the roots... heehee  
**

**

* * *

**

"It's weird, Kelsi!" I exclaimed into my cell phone about ten minutes later while in my bedroom. "I go downstairs, and Troy is there! Smoking weed! With my brother! Smoking weed with my brother!" I went on. "He's friend's with him now," I said sadly.

_"You don't know that,"_ Kelsi replied_. "Maybe he just wanted weed, so we found your brother, and well, there you go,"_ she tried to cheer me up.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because everyone who wants drugs just gets their Nick radar on, and hone in on him," I responded sarcastically. "You do realize that I can't even act normal in my own house, right?" I asked. "At least, when he's here," I corrected.

"_Join the club," _she mumbled. Ever since Kelsi's mom found out her and Ryan have done 'it' she won't let her leave the house unless she's with her. Where Kelsi goes, her mom goes. Actually, it's more like the other way around. She's grounded, in other words. The only time she sees Ryan is at school, which is why they are so touchy feelly. She doesn't even know when she'll go off grounding. Knowing her mom, probably never. Ryan's dad was just happy he wasn't gay, and his mom just kinda shrugged. When your first child is Sharpay, you learn to expect this shit out of the next in line. There is another Evans. Tiara. She's eleven now, God help her parents when she becomes a teenager. Sharpay hates me, her mom never liked me, but all her siblings love me. Funny.

"Okay, you can't complain, at least you have a boyfriend," I reminded her. "And, you've had sex. I'm almost seventeen, have no experience whatsoever, at least in going that far, unfortunately, and my crush is becoming fast friends with my Devil spawn of a brother!" I added. I've had boyfriend's, it's not like I am some ugly old crone, it's just that none of them have lasted long. My last boyfriend was last year, Chase Marshall. He was cute, funny, not a jock, but built like one, and an all around good guy. The problem? He moved away shortly after. Damn my luck. His dad is in the Army, so moving was expected. I at least wanted to lose my virginity first.

I'm weird. I've never been one of those girls who prize their virginity as something I want to give to my husband or something. I'm not a church person, not that they are bad or anything, I just think that it's unrealistic. In fact, my V card has always been something I wanted to get rid of. Since I'm not a complete slut, I wanted to give it to a steady boyfriend, only one hasn't stuck around long enough yet, so I am still a virgin. I don't want to give it up after only a week, either. I know what you're thinking, she wants to give it up, but has specifications. Yes, I do. So, the farthest I've been is, like, second base.

_"Have you seen yourself, Gabs?"_ Kelsi questioned. UGH! Hate that nickname. "_You could have a boyfriend in a minute,"_ she informed me.

I nodded. "If my last name wasn't Montez, and it's not like I want some random guy to be my boyfriend. I'm not that easy. I like Troy, and ten to one, my brother is telling Troy what a loser I am right now," I told her.

_"You're not a loser. You and Nick just don't get along. You're like your mom, and he's like your dad, and seeing as your parents are divorced, kinda, it makes sense that you and Nick don't get along,"_ she explained. Oh, I am not like my mother! Tony is more like her, hello! _"You have your moments,"_ she insisted.

I sighed. "If you say me calling him a dick, and him calling me a bitch as we walk away from each other as a moment, sure," I agreed in an annoyed tone.

_"Wait, when did we establish Troy is your crush?"_ she questioned, sounding offended she didn't already know.

"Kels, you know me, I'm slightly boy crazy. The second I fell on my ass, and he helped me up, I was basically smitten," I told her. "I thought it was obvious, I haven't even confirmed it to Tay yet, I think she knows, though," I commented.

She made a weird noise. _"You're the only person I know who uses words like irk, and smitten,"_ she mentioned in a light giggle. _"You're an interesting one, Gabi,"_ she stated.

"Interesting good, or interesting bad? Troy said that same thing to me his first day!" I told her, anxious for the answer.

_"Dammit! My mom is coming out of the office, I gotta go. I'll try and call you tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow at school. Bye,"_ she quickly said before hanging up. Oh, yeah, she's grounded from the phone, and every other piece of communicable technology in the house besides the t.v., and even then, her eleven year old brother gets to pick the channels. Sucks for her. Good thing she doesn't mind 'Sponge Bob.'

"You didn't answer!" I whined, throwing the phone on my bed with a huff.

I contemplated staying in my bedroom until he left, but I was hungry, so I decided to leave the sanctuary of my room. The only good thing about this house is that I have my own room. It's a medium-sized room with a queen bed, and all my books are littered throughout it, along with notebooks full of short stories. I love writing. I want to be a writer. I have pictures of me and friends on the walls, along with verses from good songs, and sayings from t.v. shows. Sayings like, 'every song ends, but is that any reason not to enjoy the music?' I love that one. It's from 'One Tree Hill.'

When I went down the steps, I scoped out the main floor. Only animals. Good. I made a hot dog in the microwave, and ate it quickly on the computer while surfing the net. I didn't even hear anything downstairs, which I was happy about.

My family is very music oriented. All my siblings can play an instrument. Tony can play guitar a little, and sing well. He was in a band when he was a teenager. Like most bands started by a group of friends 'creative differences' took place, along with drugs, and it kind of fell apart. Nick is good at guitar, and is learning how to play piano all on his own. Lauren is an amazing singer, and taught herself to play guitar, and she can play bass, too. Me? I took piano when I was six until I was thirteen, and am in the process of learning to play guitar with instruction from Lauren. I sing, too, but Lauren is better. Lauren is always better.

The thing is that I am a little self conscious about all of it. I mean, I want to show it off, not rudely, but I'm the best piano player in the house, I'm a pretty good singer, and I know a little guitar so far. The problem is that I'm worried about what people will think. What if I think I am better than I am? What if I play, and I suck, and everyone laughs, including my family? We have a piano, so I will play for the fam, and close friends, but no one else. I'm sensitive, I told you. So, before I started to play a little bit later, I went downstairs to make sure Troy and Nick were gone. They were.

With that being known, I grabbed my guitar, and went back up the steps. It technically isn't my guitar. It's my mom's, but she never plays anymore, and practically told me to have it. Nick bought his own with his drug money, and Lauren's was a gift. Tony borrows all of ours, and we don't mind. I'm learning how to play guitar off tabs on the Internet, Lauren taught me how to read them. It wasn't hard.

The newest song I am learning is 'Hallelujah' by Kate Voegele. It's a remake, but it's acoustic, and I like it. I started strumming.

"Well I've heard there was a secret chord  
David played and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do ya?  
Well it goes like this:  
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

I sang, trying not to look down at my hands and, read the tabs. I feel like the music flows through me when I play. I love it. I went on with the song, and brought it to a close, singing the words the whole time.

"Well maybe there is a God above  
But all I've ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you  
And it's not a cry you that hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

I finished, smiling because I didn't miss many notes. It's the best I've done so far.

"Wow," I heard behind me, and turned to see Troy at the top of the basement steps, leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned, defensive. I put the guitar down, and stood up.

Troy pushed off the wall, and strode over to me. "Me and Nick went out for something, then I dropped him off at a girl's house. I forgot my phone here, so he said I could come back and get it," he answered, slipping a hand into one of his pockets.

"You could have let me know you were here, you know," I spat out at him, not caring for his explanation.

"Don't get mean, that is what I was doing, but you were playing a song. I was being nice, and letting you finish," he replied, reaching past me for his phone on the computer table I didn't even notice.

I crossed my arms. "How do you know my brother anyways?" I asked, trying to bury my anger and embarrassment of him hearing me play.

Troy shrugged. "I've always kinda known him, I didn't move that far away when I did, only school districts. When I moved back, I called him, and he told me where he lived," he started to tell me.

"So, in other words, you've been getting drugs off of him for years, and when you moved here, it was a score because now you were closer to your dealer," I summed up. Nick mostly deals weed and pills, nothing major like heroin. He is street smart, and heroin is not smart in any way. He isn't that stupid. In fact, when he found one of his friends was doing it, he told that friends parent's, and tried to get him straight.

He didn't look offended, just shrugged again. "Pretty much. And, I haven't really talked to him since he went to jail, I didn't know when he got out," he added.

"Middle of last year," I answered for him. "And, we didn't know he was getting out either. He just showed up," I mumbled. That was really the only time I was really happy to see Nick. My mom went to his court hearing that day, and they said he would be getting out soon, just not yet, or something like that. She was sad after, and I was talking to her in her room. I heard a noise downstairs, and figured it was Tony, but the dogs were barking. I went down, and some guy was there. He told me my brother was here. I said 'so?' figuring that it was Tony. Nick came up the steps, and was huge compared to the stick he was before, and I hugged him for seriously five minutes. I believe he was nice for about a week, then went back to his old Nick ways.

"Interesting," Troy commented. "I didn't know you play guitar," he mentioned. "Or sang that well."

"Well, you just moved here this week," I reminded him. "Besides, I don't play for anyone, really. Well, my family, and some friends," I told him.

Troy smiled at me. "I don't know why, you're good," he insisted.

"Lauren's better," I responded. "She's my older sister. I'm the runt of the bunch," I muttered.

"I wouldn't say runt, I think you're kinda pretty," he told me, making my cheeks inflame. He started chucking. "You're actually blushing. I'm not sure when the last time I saw a girl blush is," he laughed.

I smacked him in the chest. "Shut up," I grumbled. I'm not usually a blusher, either. Troy's just sooooo hott, and sexy, and pretty in a boy way, handsome is the word for it, that it made me blush getting a compliment like that. "You know, it's not nice to sneak into someones house, listen to something you shouldn't have been listening to, and then make fun of them," I stated.

He rubbed the spot I hit, like it actually hurt. It hurt all right, my hand! "I'm sorry," he apologized politely.. "But, I did compliment how good you sounded, and told you you're pretty," he reminded me.

"So?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek.

"So, we're even," he concluded.

I shook my head. "We are not!" I urged. "You were mean to me this morning!" I said. Oops. I didn't want him to know that.

"Mean?" he questioned, and I couldn't help but nod. "How was I mean?" he wondered.

I felt like kicking myself. "You didn't even acknowledge me," I told him. "You flirt with that bitch at my locker, who you know I hate, then you totally ignore me. I would call that mean, wouldn't you?" I questioned.

Troy crossed his arms. "I was waiting for you to ask you why you didn't ride home with me and Chad yesterday. Sharpay showed up, and I can be a mean person when I want to, but I didn't feel like telling her to get away, so I used her to pass the time until you got there. I didn't notice you come up because my back was to you. When you did show up, you were in a bad mood. When I was going to tell Sharpay to take a hike, in nicer words or course, you and her got into that little mini bitch fest, so you walked off. How is that me being mean?" he asked.

"It's not fair when you put it that way!" I insisted.

He chuckled. "That's the truth," he stated.

I scowled. "I never win," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "So..." I trailed off..

"So?" Troy questioned, leaning against the computer chair.

"You got your phone," I reminded him.

He faked a pained face, and put his free hand over his heart. "Ouch, Brie, is that your way of telling me to leave? I thought we were friends," he told me, making me instantly feel bad.

"You're friends with my brother, though," I said, like that meant something. "Did he tell you what an annoying bitch I am?" I asked, slipping my hands into the pockets of my black hoodie.

Troy looked like he was about to laugh. "I don't think annoying bitch were the words he used," he corrected. "After you ran away from me, which is becoming a habit, he laughed and asked why you left so quickly when you usually stay down there and talk to him. I told him I knew you from school, and you're my friend, and you'd been acting weird around me all week. He said that I better not, what did he say? Corrupt. Yes, I can't corrupt you, or he'll kick my ass because you're pretty much a straight A student, and you're pretty much the only good thing to come from the Montez name besides Lauren," he finished.

I was surprised. "He said that?" I questioned, and Troy nodded. "About me? Gabriella? The girl he usually tells to go get a life, and that I don't matter, and should permanently change my name to Bitch?" I went on.

"He says that shit about you?" Troy asked. I nodded. "Either way, that's what he said. So, I can't corrupt you, what a shame. It could have been fun," he flirted.

"I didn't think of you as a guy who follows the rules," I replied, smiling at him. I was proud of myself for having the courage to flirt. Yay.

Troy grinned. "I'm not," he assured me. "Besides, I don't think you need much corrupting, you do live around Nick," he reminded me.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I like it, or him for that matter," I told him.

"Do you always have to disagree with me?" he wondered, tossing his head to the side so no hair was in his eyes. "You don't take my ride to or from school, making up some stupid excuse, saying that it's my fault. Then, I go to meet you this morning, and you call me mean. I hear you play, by accident by the way, and you yell at me, even when I say you're good. And, now I say you're corrupted, and you make me think you're not. So, does that mean you want me to corrupt you, Brie?" he asked.

I tried to say something, but nothing came out. "Ah, bu- um," I stuttered.

He grinned wider the way he does so, so goodly. He put all his weight on his feet, and stepped even closer to me. I probably should have backed up, but I didn't. "I can if you want, I like corrupting the youth," he told me. "And, with you, I could make it a hobby," he added.

"I, ah, so.." I trailed off. So not a good time to be speechless. "'Kay?" I managed. Is that a good answer?

He chuckled. "Is that your final answer? Think about this for a moment now," he told me."You barely know me, or the things I've done, and the fact that I am friends with your brother probably doesn't help my case," he said.

"I-I dunno," I corrected. I have a habit for liking my brother's friends, but that never turns out well. That kid on heroin Nick tried to help? The last guy I liked. Jason. He's a good guy, but pretty stupid, and he was friend's with Nick. I don't know what Troy does, he's right, but at this point, I don't really care. There have been so many nights I've sat up thinking about boys, and I always wanted that one special boy to want to be with me back, the real me, not the one most people see. Could Troy be that special boy? I'm getting way to ahead of myself here, but what is like without a few risks? Boring. My love life has been boring enough, believe me. Still, if you don't take risks, you don't get hurt, and I've had a life time of hurt. "I'm not as naive as I look," I finally told him.

A something flashed across his face, then he shrugged. "Too bad, could have been fun," he commented. "You may not be as naive as you come off, but you're not as corrupted as the girls around here," he informed me.

"I think that is a good thing," I replied. "East High's nickname is Heroin High, and I'm not pregnant, nor do I plan to be for a long time, and even though my siblings do drugs doesn't mean I will because I've seen what they can do. I'm going to be the first Montez in two generations to go to college for four years and graduate, and make something of myself," I stated in a confident voice. Lauren's schooling only took two years.

"It is a good thing," Troy confirmed. "And, it's great you're going to college, I hope you get into a great one. Me saying you aren't as corrupted was a compliment, yet another one you tried to shoot down. Plus, the fact that you aren't corrupted, is appealing," he finished. Appealing? Really?

"Can we stop using the word corrupted? I feel like a nun when I am definitely not," I told him, and he laughed. "What? And, what do you mean by that?" I asked.

He stopped laughing after a moment. "Putting down another compliment, Brie? You're goin' for the record," he told me. "Again, it's a good thing, geez," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, it just makes me think I could be a slut," I replied, shrugging a little.

Troy paused for a moment, then exhaled. "I'm done saying things to you, you take it the wrong way, making me feel like an ass," he breathed, using a hand to brush hair off his face.

"Alright then," I agreed with a slight smile.

"So, you gonna give me a tour or what? All I've seen is your brother's room, and, well, here," he said, looking around.

I laughed. "There isn't much else to see," I responded. "Like, my room, my sister's room, and my mom's room is all that's left," I told him.

"If you show me your room, I'll show you mine," he propositioned, a smile across his face.

"Um, I don't know when I'll be frequenting your house, so, I don't think so," I denied, unzipping my hoodie because it was warm, and stuffed my hands back into the pockets.

Troy shook his head at me. "You don't talk like a normal teenager, ya know," he informed me, and I shrugged. "From what I've heard, Brie, you're good friends with Chad, and so am I, and we'll be hanging out together. My parent's are hardly home anymore, so it's a nice place to chill," he told me. "I'm sure you'll be there soon enough," he assured me.

"Why aren't they home?" I questioned. "If you don't mind me asking," I quickly added.

"It's not a big deal. My parents had me their sophomore year in college, they were already married, but I wasn't planned. They don't regret me, or neglect me, or anything like that, it's just now that I'm old enough to take care of myself, and kinda responsible, they go out a lot. They go on dates, out with their friends, to clubs," he listed off. I gave him a strange look. "They look young for their age," he said. "My mom still gets carded when she's buying alcohol."

I held back a laugh. "My brother just turned twenty one, and he doesn't get carded," I mumbled with a shake of my head. "That's nice, though, that you're parents are still together, and actually like each other. My parents split when I was in fifth grade, and my dad has a girlfriend," I told him.

"I probably don't appreciate it enough, truthfully," he replied. "My dad and I don't get along at all, my mom is in the middle all the time. She's the only one who can stop us from fighting," he confessed.

"I know, you didn't seem excited for your dad to be working at the school soon.. Why is that?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Who would be happy that their parent is working at school?" he questioned in return. "And, my dad and I, we're a lot alike. We're both hotheaded, and spontaneous, and independent, and leaders, you know?" I nodded. "Plus, he has an opinion on my life I don't agree with, I may have done stupid shit, but I knew what the outcome would be. I'm not dumb. He's really into basketball, too, and I am to a degree. I love the game, I love playing it, but it's not my entire life like he wants it to be for me, because that's how he is."

I bit my lip. "You're good, then?" I wondered, and he nodded. "Why don't you join the team?" I asked.

"I just came to your school, in the middle of the season. It's not like there are any open spots. My parents got into a fight about that, actually. My dad wants the scouts to see me, but I don't wanna go to college for basketball. I'll try out next year," he told me. "Now, Miss Ask A lot, are you gonna show me your room, or what?"

"It's messy," I stated. He stayed quiet. "Fine, but only for a minute," I agreed, and brushed past him on the way to the steps. "What's your mom do? You just moved into that huge house, she has to be successful," I said on the way up.

I heard him chuckle as I opened the door. My room is right at the top of the steps. "She's a lawyer," he answered, walking into my room. "You're definitely a girl," he mumbled, looking around. "It suits you," he finally concluded, sitting down on my bed.

"Yeah, okay, make yourself at home," I joked, and he grinned. I leaned against a dresser. "I've never had my own room before. Well, when I was nine, maybe, but I didn't appreciate it," I corrected. "If I had a computer in here, I would never leave," I added while looking around.

He picked up a multi-color teddy bear that was on top of my bed side table, and chuckled. "Cute," he mentioned.

"Hey, my grandma gave me that before she died," I defended myself, and he looked up at me.

"I'm sorry you're grandma's dead," he apologized, putting Princess back.

I cleared my throat. "Which one? All my grandparents died before I hit thirteen," I admitted. "I barely remember them," I said in a low voice.

"How'd they all die?" he wondered, seriously interested.

"My mom's dad died when I was three. I don't exactly remember him. I have one memory of him in a dark purple shirt, and I was scared of him. I was a shy kid. He was a big man, too. I don't remember how he died, and I don't want to ask. It seems wrong. His wife, my abuela, she's the one I remember the most. She died mostly of old age, and just old health problems you know? You get old, stuff stops working right. My grandpa on my dad's side died of cancer, and my grandma followed six months later of a heart attack, but my uncles always say it was because her heart was broken," I answered. "We have pictures, and I have things from them. My mom made sure I got jewelry or something from all of them," I went on.

Troy leaned forward. "That sucks, I'm sorry," he repeated.

I nodded. "Thanks, but I'm used to it. I get really sad sometimes, but it's a part of life. I feel jealous of Lauren all the time because she knew them the most," I told him, then cleared my throat again.

"How much older is Lauren from you?" he wondered, looking around at my walls.

"Ah, six years, exactly. We have the same birthday," I informed him. "December 14."

He looked directly at me. "You're still sixteen?" he asked, a slight laugh in his voice.

"Less than a month, buddy! I'll be seventeen!" I exclaimed. "Why, whens your birthday?" I questioned.

"October 18, already happened. I'm eighteen," he stated, and I bit back a smile. I have a thing for older guys. "Which is why I'm being such a very good boy. Anything I do now I'm in real deep shit for it," he told me.

I gathered my hair up, and draped it over my shoulder. "Like, smoking weed with my brother?" I asked.

"Old habits die hard," he offered, "Like cigs," he added.

"You smoke cigarettes, too?" I wondered.

He nodded. "I was real bad with it when I was fifteen and sixteen, a big chain smoker because I thought it was cool. My mom caught me, beat my ass, and I stopped real quick. She hits hard, and that was before she told my dad. God, that fucking sucked," he remembered. "I only started back up when I turned eighteen so, they can't say shit. I don't remember why I liked it so much, though, it's kinda stupid now. I guess you could call me a group smoker," he finished.

"They taste like ashtrays," I commented, making a gross face.

"Why, Brie? You been making out with some smokers lately?" he asked.

I shook my head. "My whole family smokes. I don't see the point, so I won't," I answered.

Troy smiled, and nodded towards a picture on the wall. "Who's the guy?" he wondered, and I looked at a picture of me and Chase. We didn't end badly, I still write him, actually.

"Chase," I told him. "He was my boyfriend last year, but he moved. We're still friends," I explained.

"You read a lot," he stated, changing the subject. He started going through the books on my book shelf. "Would you tell anyone if I told you I actually liked this book?" he asked, pulling out Where The Heart Is.

I sat down next to him. "No. That's a good book. I read it in seventh grade," I told him. "You read," I said, but it sounded like a question.

He shrugged. "Eh, some. If the books looks interesting. I tried that Twilight shit, but it was too girlie for me. I saw the movie when I went out with this girl, it was alright," he told me. "I see you have all of them," he added.

I nodded. "Yeah. They're good books. They didn't cast Edward well at all, that British guy is cute, sure, but not amazingly sexy like he should be," I ranted. "Sorry, Taylor and I vent about that all the time. We got Chad to read them," I informed him.

Troy put back the book he was holding. "Nick told me you're going to be an aunt soon," he mentioned, leaning back on my bed, as he looked around.

I turned to face him. "Yeah, I'm excited. Tony's going to be a great dad," I stated. "Eve is due late April," I added.

"What are they doing to name him?" he asked, getting up onto his hands.

"Well, we're not sure if it's a boy or girl yet," I told him. "We'll find that out later this month. Eve said if it's a girl it'll be Devyn, which I'm not too happy about. I just don't like the name for a girl. If it's a boy, well, they change that name every week," I said.

Troy smiled at me. "I was always going to be Troy," he informed me. "My mom had been in love with the name since high school, and when they found out I was going to be a boy, she wouldn't budge," he explained.

I nodded. "It's a nice name," I told him.

"You've told me before," he reminded me, making me laugh.

"God, I was a joke that day, sorry," I apologized, holding back a smile.

"Eh," Troy waved it off while smiling at me. "It's alright. A lot of girls get tongue-tied around me, I get it," he assured me cockily.

I gasped. "I was not tongue-tied!" I insisted. He just laughed at me. "I just didn't know what to say, so every single stupid thing I have done came out," I told him.

"At least you got it out in the open," he replied, patting my knee lightly. I pushed hair behind my ear. "If you want to make it even, uh, I lost an eyebrow when I as little. I also had a picture of Tyra Banks on my wall," he told me.

I had started to laugh when he said he 'lost' an eyebrow. "How- How do you lose an eyebrow?" I wondered mid-laugh.

"Don't worry about it," he answered, laughing a little, too. "The next day, there were these awards at school, too. I got the perfect attendance award because my mom never let me miss school. I had to walk up there with one eyebrow to accept it from the principal. He asked how in front of the whole school. I refused to explain, and I was known that whole year as One Eyebrow Boy," he told me.

I laughed some more. "It's good to know you're human," I mentioned before licking my lips.

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm a regular Clark Kent."

"How can you say that?" I questioned Troy Friday at school. The week had gone by relatively fast, luckily. Troy has been at my house almost everyday after school, too, and the fact that my mom not only likes him, but gave him a nickname also, astounds me. My mom likes hardly any of Nick's friends, she doesn't even like half my friends, but stays supportive. She's cool like that. Sometimes.

I know she likes the fact that Troy hangs out with me more than Nick, and when he is over, I am occupied, mainly with laughter. She told me that's its nice I found a friend like him, weirdly. The thing is that I don't want him to be just a friend, I just never take chances. Because of this I am likely to live my life like that dumb Hannah Montana song, 'If We Were Movie.' How sad. It's sad that I know the song, actually.

"I'm sorry, it's just what I believe," Troy replied, walking with me down the hall.

"The Beatles are the best band of all time, those who do not believe do not deserve to listen to any music," I told him.

Troy nodded to some guy who called out his name in hello. "Brie, I said the Beatles do rock, and do deserve recognition, but in my book, they aren't the best," he reminded me.

I scoffed. "That is just wrong," I stated as we stopped in the emo corner. Troy has become somewhat of a social butterfly. He fits in every where. With the popular kids, with the jocks, with the potheads, with the skaters (practically the same thing), with the emos, and everything in between. Even the weird, smart kids no one understand half the time because they are that smart, Troy talks with them. I say go him. "My mother would kill you if she heard you say that," I told him.

He smiled. "I know, which is why I am about to beg you to never tell her," he responded, making me smile myself.

I shrugged. "It depends. On a day you're pissing me off, I'll tell her, until then, I'll fight with you on my own," I assured him.

"Remind me to be nice to you when you're PMSing," he replied. "Which makes me think. Girls get their- uh, _that_ in, like groups, so when you have that, your mom will have that, so I better be nice to you," he commented to himself. I just looked at him strangely. "What?" he questioned.

"Nothing, nothing," I mumbled, taking my hair out of it's messy bun I had put it in for the morning car ride. Troy's car, it's awesome, it's fast, it fits him, it messes up my hair. It's a black '64 Impala, and very cool. There are def perks in your mom being a lawyer. I got my brush out of my purse to brush my hair. I left it in it's normal curls because I rarely have the patience to straighten it the correct way. I'm wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans. There are zipper pockets half way down the leg that aren't really usable because the pants are skinny jeans. I'm also wearing a black sleeveless top that has a picture of James Dean on the front, sitting on a motorcycle. I'm wearing black sandals with it, along with a peace necklace. I looked up only to see Troy staring at me. "What?"

He shrugged at me, leaning against the wall. "You're hott, you know," he told me.

I blushed. UGH! "Why do you do things like that?" I asked him, sticking the brush back in my purse.

"Um, tell the truth? My momma told me not to lie," he answered. I laughed a little before giving him a look. "Alright, I'll lie to you. You look like an old hag," he accused, wrapping his arm by the neck, then proceeded to give me a nookie.

"Troy!" I exclaimed, fighting him off. "My hair!" I said, fixing it, not caring that he called me an old hag.

He laughed at me. "It's nice to know your priorities," he muttered as he finished. "Hey, Brie," he started, so I looked up at him. "Do me a favor, hug me," he said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Hug me," he repeated, being completely serious.

I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. "Ah, okay," I agreed, then wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. If he wanted me to hug him so badly, he could bend a little, ya know?

We were only hugging for a moment when we were interrupted. "Hey, Troy," a voice I knew too well greeted.

We pulled away. "Sharpay," he replied with a nod. I felt his hand hook through a belt loop of mine so he could pull me closer to him. I'm not sure what he is doing, but I think I like it. Sharpay must have said something that I missed while I was thinking, but Troy wrapped an arm around shoulders while beginning to say something. "I can't, Brie and I are having a moment, so I'll have to talk to you later," he told her.

I love this kid, really. Sharpay's eyes flicked to me. I was happy I made her react like that. Finally I have something she doesn't. Troy. Even though that is horrible to say (think, whatever), it still felt good. I'm a terrible person, I'm sure I'll get over it. "I'll see you later then," she said, then walked away.

"We're having a moment?" I asked, connecting my eyes with his.

He shrugged. "I'd so much rather be with you, than her," he replied. "Other than the fact that your hottness is better than her hottness, especially because hers is fake, and yours is natural, I can only stand her fucking personality for so long," he informed me. "That and her nose is totally fake, along with her hair color," he added.

"If I didn't know you were straight, I'd ask if you were gay. And, if you're gay, I would comment on how the hott ones are always gay," I told him. Troy just laughed. "The nose is fake, she got it redone in tenth grade saying that something in her nose collapsed, and she couldn't breath right. I say it's just because she had quite the honker," I mentioned quickly after.

Troy started to slide to the floor, bringing me with him. We got to school early. Awesome, right? I get to leave the house almost fifteen minutes later, and get to school five minutes before I did before. I am diggin' this. "When did she go blond?" he asked, taking his cell out after it buzzed in his pocket.

"Seventh grade," I answered, leaning my head back against the wall.

He quickly texted something back, then slid the phone back into his pocket. "Nice," he commented as he yawned. "I'm tired," he stated the obvious while rubbing his eyes. I was going to say something in return when he scooted away a little, then layed his head down on my shoulder. "Wake me up when the bell rings," he asked nicely, his eyes closing.

I couldn't help by smile to myself. I felt like doing somersaults and scream 'my crush is sleeping on me' around the hall, which would be stupid when you think about it. I also felt a little let down because the more we hang out (we've only really known each other for a week, mind you), the more we feel like friends. Why am I aways the friend girl, or the little sister? I know now how Mouth feels on 'One Tree Hill.' High school sucks. It wasn't long before Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, an Ryan showed up, both couples acting couply, but I didn't mind. For the little over five minutes Troy napped on me, and I listened to one earbud of my iPod, I felt like I was part of a couple, too. And, that felt really good, especially when Troy was the other half of the couple.

What the hell am I getting myself into?

* * *

**Here is the next one. I like it.**

**Man, I wish this guy exists. Oh, wait he does, but he does see me as the little sister. High school does suck.**

**Review please, it will make my life seem better! REVIEW REVIEW. Seriously!**

**-- Kayleigh**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's funny that I am writing all this out without even posting the first two chapters, so I don't know whether to thank you for reviews or not. Hopefully you're all reviewing.**

**Please, review!!!**

**I know some of you are against the Troy doing drugs thing, but you do realize that that will be an issue in future chapters, right? It won't be left alone, just so you know. Please, trust me, okay?**

**Please? Review!!!!!**

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Brie," Troy greeted me as I walked down the hall three weeks later, a couple days before my birthday. He was sitting on what I hoped was a empty trashcan, surrounded by the popular kids. We separated when I went to my locker. He drives me to school everyday now, and home almost all the time.

I smiled at him. "Hey, Troy," I replied.

"Hey, Brie," he repeated again, smiling back at me.

"Hey, Troy," I went along with it to appease him.

He smiled wider. "Hey, Brie," he said again, kicking the trashcan under his feet.

"Hi, Troy," I said again.

"HA! I win!" he called across the hall, making onlookers laugh. I shook at my head at him, then walked away in my defeat. I'm used to these kinds of things by now. I was walking towards the emo corner when I suddenly felt Troy's arms wrap around me from behind. God, I love when he does this. Damn, I'm pathetic. "So, I need to ask a huge favor from you, and you should say yes because I'm fucking hott. And, not only am I hott, I'm one of your best friends, no matter how much you try to deny it," he said, slowing down our pace.

I leaned back against him, liking the feeling. It kinda made my heart race. I'm a hopeless romantic, kill me now. "If it's to add your name onto the history project that we could have partners for, but I refused to be your partner because I would do all the work, and you'd get all the credit, save it," I replied.

He held me tighter. "Come on, Brie," he pleaded in my ear. I felt my heart jump to my throat because I felt his breath on my ear. Fuccck, I am beginning to hate this best friendship. "I was gonna do it, honest, I was just busy," he insisted, his lips at my neck.

Dude, he better stop touching me before I grow some confidence or something. Can confidence grow? IDK. "Busy with who?" I asked, turning my head a little, making our cheeks touch. Shit, I should just write 'I like Troy Bolton' across my forehead.

"Your brother," he answered honestly, turning me around. He grabbed my hands to entwine them with his. Can we act like a couple anymore than we do now? I think not. Actually, we could make out. Sadly, I wish we did. "Please? Gabriella, please," he whined while guiding me backwards down the hall. He held my hands up close towards his heart.

"What would you do for me?" I questioned, pretending consideration.

He smiled, thinking he won. Hold on, buddy! "I'll come over to your house, and fuck you for your birthday," he told me, stopping on the side of the hall because there was a traffic jam.

I blinked a couple times. Huh? Really? Is that an option? "What?" I asked, blinking some more.

"I said I'll come over to your house, and hang out with you on your birthday," he rephrased. Oh, is that what he said?

I cleared my throat. "Oh," I mumbled. Is that a sense of sadness I hear in my voice. Bad, Gabriella! Slutty, Gabriella. "Hey! I was gonna get that anyways!" I exclaimed.

"Fine, I'll actually get you something. Please. This dumb project is worth, like, 150 fucking points," he reminded me.

I smiled. "Then I guess it's a good thing I already put your name on it, huh?" I wondered, making him glare at me.

He smiled after a second, then hugged me really tight. I hugged him back, and couldn't help but smell him. He smells niiice. Damn him for drawing me in even further. "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you!" he repeated, holding me for at least another minute. It felt good. He let me go, smiling. "You just earned yourself a sleepover," he informed me.

I laughed. "A sleepover, really?" I pretended to be excited while I said this.

He nodded, overlooking my faux-excitement. "Damn right, me and you, Beatles Rockband, your couch, all through the AM hours," he explained. "Plus, your choice of bad movies, as long as I get to make the popcorn," he said.

"But, you never make the popcorn right!" I reminded him, pouting.

"I don't care, is it a deal or not?" he asked.

I sighed. "Deal," I agreed, and we shook hands.

"We have a wonderful friendship," he told me as we began to go down the hall again.

I am seriously beginning to hate that particular F word coming from his mouth when it comes to me.

"My life sucks, " I stated in art before the bell rang. I went with Taylor because she needed to talk to Mr. Waters, who isn't even here yet. Troy flew off like a the social butterfly that he is to hang out with some clique that would allow no other to do what he is doing. Eh, he's hott, he can get away with a lot. "Troy used the F word today," I informed her.

She shrugged. "Fuck? He uses fuck a lot," she reminded me. "I don't know, a lot of people do. Is that bad?" she asked

I shook my head. "Not fuck, friendship. Get with it, Tay," I told her.

She gave me an encouraging smile. "Sorry, it takes a while for me to get used to your vocabulary," she responded. I just nodded. "Gabi, Troy is the biggest flirt I know," she started. Oh, thanks. "But, from what I've people-watched, he flirts with you the most," she mentioned.

I couldn't help but smile. "I know," I said giddly. "He's turned me into a seventh grader!" I whined, making her laugh. "Next thing you know he'll call me his little sister, which will make me want to slit my wrists," I added sadly. "Damn it!" I swore, dropping my head to the table.

"You better not, girl," Taylor replied. I knew if I looked up, she would be giving me a mean look. "I get one whiff of you doin' that shit, I'm gonna kill you," she stated. "Gabriella," she said when I hadn't picked my head up.

"What?" I cried, lifting my head up to look at her. "Leave me alone! I'm not actually gonna do it! But, you're not the one who likes someone so much it's insane," I reminded her. She gave me a look. "Okay, you do, but you know he's interested in you, like, really interested in you. I have no fucking idea what he feels, and I feel all twisted up inside. I don't like that feeling," I told her.

"Gab, it's high school. We all feel like that from time to time, and none of us like it," she responded, seeing Mr. Waters walk in. She gave me one last smile before walking over to him to talk about art club. Taylor's insanely good at art. I'm mediocre, my thing is music, well, and writing. I'm not good at art, I just take it because I like it. Troy's good at it. Chad's, well, he's horrible, but at least he knows it. He's only taking the class because of Taylor.

I sat myself, playing with my pencil until the bell rang. I took to drawing on my desk, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Kids were flooding in a minute before the bell rang, interrupting my picasso painting in the making. I heard people at my table, so I lifted my head to see them. Taylor was back, Troy and Chad were there, too. "Would it be easier to be a straight girl, or a gay guy?" I asked them while I started to erase my bad picture.

"I vote straight girl, because I called you hott. If you changed, I would be all kinds of confused," Troy answered seriously. "Plus, you'd still be you, which means I'd like you. Damn, you'd turn me bi. Nice job, Brie," he added.

I blushed, then looked towards Taylor and Chad. "Straight girl," Chad said.

"Gay guy. You could get out of periods," Taylor told me.

"Good point," I agreed, crossing my legs Indian style on the chair.

Troy wrote something on a piece of paper, then passed it to me. Mr. Water's is talking now, which is why he did it. 'Nice blush' his hand writing said.

I glared at the paper before throwing a hand out to whack him across the chest. "Ow," he mumbled after I made contact.

"Oh, it didn't hurt," I assured him. He opened his mouth to say something, but I shoved the paper in his mouth before he could say it.

"You say something, Troy?" Mr. Waters asked mid-speech about how our projects are due next Monday.

Troy spit the paper out. "Naw, I'm good," he replied, making half the class laugh because they saw him spit the paper out. Mr. Waters looked like he wanted to laugh himself. Troy saluted him, so he went on. "I could die from that you know," he said once Mr. Waters was done.

"Fine, don't haunt me. Ghosts creep me out," I informed him, which just made him smirk.

"What if I was an incubus?" he questioned.

"Like, a horny ghost?" I asked, and he nodded. "Then, I'd say, well, I don't know what to say," I admitted. "Don't come during my period?" I guessed.

He instantly started laughing. "God, you two are funny to watch," Chad commented from across the table, laughing himself.

"What? I couldn't control him if he was a ghost. If he does come, it shouldn't be during my period. That would be weird," I defended myself.

Taylor was holding back laughs, too. "Yeah, because it's not weird or anything that he wants to come to you as an incubus," she muttered.

I shrugged. "He's Troy Bolton, he'd do anything with a vagina," I stated.

"Hey!" Troy exclaimed. "I think I'm insulted," he explained. "She doesn't just have to have a vagina, she has to be sexy, too," he told us.

"You have heard that it's whats on the inside that counts, haven't you?" I questioned, turning towards him.

He looked like he was getting ready for a verbal challenge. "I know looks aren't the only thing, I'm realistic, sometimes, at least. Personality, and all that matter, too, but if you aren't attracted to the person whatsoever, all you have is a friendship. To sum everything I just said up, personality matters, but so does sexiness. Right?" he asked, looking towards Chad.

"Taylor's hott," he simply answered.

Troy looked back at me grinning. "Told ya," he sing-songed.

I glared. "Well, it's not fair when even I agree with you," I mumbled grumpily, making him laugh a little. "It's my birthday week! Show some compassion! Plus, I added your name to that damn history paper I worked on for a week while all you did was get high, remember that," I reminded him as Chad and Taylor went off to do something.

"That wasn't all I did," he disagreed with a shake of his head. "I... I fought with my dad a couple times, flirted with you, uh, I hung out at your house, and I went to school," he listed off with a proud smile. "I haven't even had any vagina, so there," he finished. It's kinda weird we keep calling sex vagina. Then again, I started it.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "It's not like you haven't had any options," I said, looking down at my almost-done project.

"That doesn't mean I want all of them. Damn, I'm not a man-whore," he stated, shaking my project so I would look up at him. "I'm starting to wonder what you think about me, Brie," he informed me.

"I think you're nice, and a flirt, and hott, and a good person most the time, but like every other male, you use the head that isn't on your shoulders," I told him.

He leaned towards me. "Ha, you called me hott," he teased, making me blush.

"You call me hott all the time," I muttered, blushing some more.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I don't blush afterwards," he said. I groaned. "And, I must say, Gabriella Montez, you are a sexist," he stated.

I gasped. "Am not!" I exclaimed.

"Uh-huh, are too!" he said. "Just because I am a male, a male who happens to like women, does not mean I think with my dick," he put bluntly. "If I did, I would have screwed half the school by now," he admitted.

"It's good to know that you didn't. If you did, you would have an STD right now," I told him.

"Good thing my daddy taught me how to use a condom, huh?" he questioned.

I made a face at him. "Did you have to put it on a banana?" I asked, laughing a little.

"No," he laughed, then couldn't stop laughing. "In case you didn't know, I have my own equipment to practice on if I was bad at it, which I'm not," he added.

"Geez, do guys actually practice if you're bad?" I wondered, smiling because I thought this was a funny conversation.

"I don't know. My dad came into my bedroom when I was eleven, and said that I would have urges. He said that when these urges came, to put a condom on so I wouldn't make him a grandpa," he told me. I started laughing again. "Seriously, that's what he told me, then gave me a box of condoms," he went on. "Since I was eleven, most expired, so I've had to start a new box," he said.

I looked back down at my project. "It's nice to know no little Bolton's will be running around anytime soon," I mentioned, letting out a breath.

"Just because I have the looks so girls want me, and the urges, doesn't mean I'll just bang any girl I think is hott, Brie," he told me, causing me to look up. "This may be the first time you've heard this from a guy around here, especially in your life, but I think sex means something," he stated.

I raised an eyebrow. "Sex means something?" I repeated.

"Yep. You're a girl, you know the drill," he replied. "My mom taught me that way, like more than other kids' mom's. Between you and me, I've only been with three girls. I only lost my virginity when I was sixteen, to a girl whom I regret giving it to," he confessed. "That was a fucking mess," he sighed.

"Are you really opening up to me about your first time?" I asked, turning to face him.

Troy nodded. "Uh, I think so, yeah," he answered.

"Okay then, go on," I said, making him shake his head at me. For some reason, I kinda wanted to know about this. It peeked my interest.

"She was a year older than me, and I thought I was in love," he started. "It was more of loving her body now that I look back at it. You know teenagers, though, always thinking with the hormones. Anyways, we'd been together a little more than three months, and she got drunk at a party. She practically threw herself at me. Being a sixteen year old guy, who was slightly tipsy, I went for it. I woke up the next morning, and regretted it. I didn't want it to happen that way. I didn't want to be married, hell no, but I wanted it to mean something. So, I broke up with her. She proceeded to spread rumors about me to kill my popularity. It didn't work, she got pissed, and we just hated each other," he finished.

I nodded. "That kinda sucks," I told him honestly.

"Pretty much," he agreed. "What about you?" he questioned.

I shrugged, managed to not blush, and rolled my lips together. "Nothing much to tell," I said, sighing.

"Wait, you're a-" he started.

"Yes," I answered before he could say the word. It's an awkward word. Really, it is.

"Hm," Troy muttered, sliding back in his seat. "I didn't think you were," he informed me.

I gave him a look. "Well, I am," I assured him. "You know I've only had a few boyfriends, all of whom who don't stick around. I'm not easy," I reminded.

"I didn't think you were," he repeated, leaning forward towards me again.

I let out a breath while scanning the room so I didn't have to look at him. I feel this conversation gettin' a tiddle awkward. Taylor and Chad were at the materials, flirting with each other. They're both virgins, still. They've done almost everything but it, though. Taylor is waiting, she doesn't know why, just is. Chad's frustrated, but he likes Taylor too much to let it ruin their relationship. Chad and Taylor haven't really had the L word discussion yet. They don't feel the need to, I think they both think they are in love with the other, but it's not confirmed. They will when it's needed. So, good for them.

"You're not gonna make fun of me, are you?" I suddenly asked Troy, my eyes landing on him. He was looking back at me.

He shook his head. "No. Why would I?" he wondered, a sincere look on his face. I've never seen him this serious. He's usually flirty, and playful, and the sexy package he is.

"I dunno. Isn't that what guys do when they find out someone is a virgin?" I questioned, biting my lip.

Troy smiled at me. "With other guys. Not with girls," he corrected. I nodded. Sure, whatever. "I think it's hott," he stated.

I let out a laugh. "What? My pureness?" I asked.

"Yeah," he agreed, laughing a little, too. "It kinda makes me want to corrupt you more," he admitted. "If only you'd let me," he breathed.

I faked a glare. "Shut up," I mumbled, pushing on his shoulder.

He laughed as Taylor and Chad came back. "What's so funny?" Chad wondered.

"Nothin'. You two sure took long," Troy commented.

"We were busy," Chad told him.

"Not with much," Troy said, making Chad throw an eraser at him. He ducked, and it hit the girl behind him, causing us all to laugh.

-

My birthday officially sucks. The only good thing about it is that it's on a Saturday. Everything else sucks. I was allowed two friends, so I invited Taylor and Troy. But, yesterday, Taylor pissed off her mom, so she grounded her. I asked Kelsi, who is still grounded, so that's a no. Chad is going back to his mom's hometown this weekend to see his grandparents, so he wasn't even an option. Ryan has some family function, and they would be the only people I want over my house. Then, Troy called this morning. He got in a fight with his dad, and his dad said he couldn't come over just to piss him off. He said he would work on it, that he didn't want to miss my birthday, but I don't want to get false hope.

At least Tony is here. Eve's grandma died over the week, so she's at the funeral in southern Cali. Tony couldn't go because he works tomorrow, and even though it's important he go to crap like that, they need money with the baby, and all. Who, by the way, is a boy! Tony and I get along alright, depending on our moods. Mine sucks, his is good (mostly because he's slightly drunk already). Hey, he hardly gets a Eve free weekend, so he hardly gets to drink. He's allowed to once in a while. He doesn't work until noon tomorrow.

"If I kick Nick's ass, will you at least pretend to be happy?" Tony questioned as we watched TV.

"I'd like to watch that," our friend Gemma commented. Gemma's boyfriend, Conner works with my mom. They are pretty much a package deal. Conner is only nineteen, but he is one of those old souls, ya know? Gemma is barely twenty, and I hang out with her once in a while. She is an aggressive girl, I wouldn't mess with her, which is why it's a good thing she likes me. "Oh, look, she's smiling," she cooed.

I retracted the smile. "Dammit, Gem, you scared it away," Tony accused, making her laugh. Conner and my mom went out to the grocery store because he has a car, and the only car we have is Lauren's, which she took to work. Yes, she had to work on her birthday. It's her birthday, too.

"She's only acting like this because her boyfriend can't come over," Gemma reminded him.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I exclaimed. "I'm also sad because Taylor can't come over," I added. "Damn my friend's parents," I groaned, letting my head fall back onto the couch.

Tony stood, slapping my leg along the way. "I tried to cheer you up, but this is my fun time, and you're being a buzzkill," he announced. "Get happy already, I'm goin' downstairs for a momento," he said while walking away.

"Wait for me!" Gemma called out, getting up, too.

My mood suck ten points. "Fine, go do drugs! It's not like it's MY birthday or anything!" I yelled down the steps.

"Marijauna is technically a plant!" Tony screamed up.

"Fuck you!" I shouted back.

"Love you, too, sis!" Tony responded in a yell.

I groaned again, then fell over on the couch, onto my dog. "You'll stay with me, won't you?" I asked one of my doggy's. She wagged her tail. "I get excited every year, Harley," I started talking to her. I treat my dogs like family, get over it. "And, every year, my birthday sucks." I felt more depressed than I did before.

"Fine. If it sucks that much, I'll just leave," I heard above me.

My eyes popped open. Troy was right above me, smiling. "Troy!" I exclaimed, instantly moving from my dog to catapult myself at him. I must have used too much force, beause we both fell to the floor. At least we were both laughing.

"Damn, someone is happy to see me," he commented from underneath me.

"How did you get here?" I questioned. "I know you used your car, but I thought your dad wasn't gonna let you come," I added, knowing what he would say after the initial question.

He grinned. "Brie, you're forgetting that I'm eighteen. Technically, my dad doesn't control me anymore," he told me, his arms locked behind me. I gave him a look. "Alright, fine, I begged my mom," he confessed. "Don't make fun of me, because look at how happy you are to see me," he reminded me, gesturing to the fact that I'm still on top of him.

Oh. Oops. "Sorry," I apologized, and got up quickly.

Troy just chuckled at me, getting up himself. "Don't gotta apologize, Brie, it's not like I mind a hott girl on top. I prefer it, actually," he teased, looking me up and down. "You look great today, by the way," he informed me.

I looked down at my new ripped jeans I bought with the money my aunts gave me as an early birthday present. Well, it wasn't really early, it was three days ago. The jeans are ripped down from mid-thigh, to a little past my knee, and were tight on my legs. I'm also wearing my new white top that has a pattern of small, black, budding roses on it. It was a V-neck, I wore a black heart necklace with it. Oh, and black and white wedges. They're not on my feet right now, though.

I smiled. "Thanks," I muttered, fighting a blush, and hid behind my long, curly hair I left down.

I heard his chuckle again. "You're so cute," he mentioned, pushing the hair behind my ear. "So, I got you a present, but I can't give it to you now. But, you'll get it today, promise," he swore.

I shook my head at him. "Troy, you didn't have to get me anything. I didn't want anything," I stated.

"Cut the shit, who doesn't want presents? On my birthday next year, you better get me something," he ordered in a serious voice. "Christmas, too. I love gifts," he told me.

"Whatever you say," I said in return, noting his mostly black attire. He was wearing dark, almost black, jeans with a black button up, mostly buttoned, with a white t-shirt underneath, and white converse. Oh, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked sexy, like normal.

"Hey, stop checking me out, that's my job," he chasted, pushing on my arm gently.

I got brave for a second. "It's my party, and I'll do what I wanna do!" I insisted.

"Alright, you greedy person. Do you feel like giving me a hug or what?" he questioned, holding his arms out. "Because, you haven't given me one yet. Not that you throwing yourself on top of me wasn't fun," he went on to joke.

I just hugged him, resting my body against his."Thanks for coming, Troy," I whispered, feeling his warmth. I was a little cold. Hello, it's December. It may be New Mexico, but it's still chilly.

"You don't gotta thank me, Brie. I want to be here, you mean a lot to me," he said in my ear. "You're my best friend."

My mood went to happy to shit with that last line. I don't want to be the best friend! Ugh! Never the less, I continued to hug him.

"So, birthday girl, what do you want to do. No one is exactly here, yet," he said as we pulled away. He twirled me around like we were dancing.

"Play Beatles Rock band!" Tony announced from the top of the basement. "I call guitar!" he added, walking over.

"Oh, bass!" I spoke up.

"I'm singing," Gemma informed us, no asking, it's the way she is.

Troy laughed. "You guys are so lucky I have a good beat, because I guess I'm drums," he said, smiling at me. I smiled back even though I was still sad about being his best friend. Best friend. Heh. Fuck.

Half an hour later, it was almost six, and my mom and Conner still weren't back from the store. Gemma and Tony went out, stating this party needed more alcohol. The only thing is, no one was here yet. My dad, along with Erin are stopping over around eight, and some family friends were coming over around then, too. Nick went camping with his friends, and gave me ten bucks this morning. I didn't care. I would have a better time without him there. Pretty sad, huh?

"I've been thinking," Troy started, turning down the volume to the song we were listening to on the computer.

I glanced over at him. "Good improvement," I encouraged.

He gave me a look. "You play piano, but I've never heard you," he went on. "I know it's your birthday, and you do 'what you wanna do' in your own words, but I was thinking, will you play for me?" he questioned. I stayed quiet. Ever since the initial of him hearing my play guitar and sing, he hasn't heard me since. I haven't let him. "Come on, Brie. No one else is home. One song, I won't mention it to anyone else. I know you don't suck at piano because you took it for years, and your voice is great, no matter what you think," he pleaded.

"I-" I stopped. "IF I play, you won't make fun of me?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I would never," he promised, his hand over his heart. "Please?"

I sighed. "Fine, but I can't guarantee I'll ever play for you again," I informed him.

He smiled. "Whatever you say," he replied, taking my hand. He lead me to the piano we have at the top of the steps. He straddled the bench, facing me, smiling wide. "So, whatcha playin'?" he asked.

I let out a calming breath. "Uh, let me think," I mumbled, running my fingers over the keys. "Okay, Spell, by Marie Digby," I answered.

"Never heard it," he said.

"Well, you will in a second if you stop talking," I muttered, trying to not freak out. He stayed quiet. I started playing.

"A spotlight's shining brightly  
On my face  
And I can't see a thing  
And yet I feel you, looking my way"

I sang while playing the piano. I began to relax as I usually do, and tried to forget about Troy next to me. That was hard, though.

"An empty stage  
With nothing but this girl  
Who's singing this simple melody  
And wearing her heart on her sleeve  
And right now...

I have you  
For a moment I can tell I've got you  
Cause your lips don't move  
And something is happening  
Cause your eyes tell me the truth  
I've put a spell over you."

I went on, my eyes closing as I sang and my fingers moved.

"But you see  
I'm not that graceful like you  
Nor am I as eloquent  
But just a simple melody  
Can change the way that you see me  
And right now.."

The song wasn't hard to play, I learned it a long time ago. I was happy I still remembered it so well.

"I have you  
For a moment I can tell I've got you  
Cause your lips don't move  
And something is happening  
Cause your eyes tell me the truth  
I've put a spell over you..

All my life I stumble  
But up here I am just perfect  
Perfect as i'll ever be..."

I finished, my eyes opening with a smile. I turned a little, looking over at Troy while I did. "So, what do you think?" I wondered, clearing my throat.

He didn't answer. He wasn't smiling. He was just looking at me, intensely. In one swift movement he was closer to me, and his lips were realllly close. His forehead touched mine before our lips did. But, they did. His lips were soft, and warm, and my eyes fluttered closed upon contact. My heart was beating fast, and felt like it was in my throat. His hands cupped my chin, holding me close, knocking all the breath of out me. I didn't want the kiss to end, it was perfect, he was perfect. He led the kiss slowly, moving his lips with mine.

When he pulled away, I was breathless, and scared I did something wrong. Our foreheads stayed connected. I opened my eyes. He was looking right at me. "Happy birthday," he murmured, his thumb running over my cheek. Is this my present? Good. Fucking. Present.

"I.. thanks," I mumbled back, completely frozen.

I wanted to kiss him again, but the front door opened. We instantly pulled apart, and stood. I closed the piano while I did. "Sorry we took forever," Conner apologized, walking in with bags on his hands. "Hey, Troy, there is more in the back," he told him, and Troy nodded before going out the door to help with groceries. Conner looks intimidating, and when you think about it could be, but he's a sweetheart if you really know him.

"What took forever?" I asked, walking up to the bar that separates the kitchen from the living room, main room, whatever you call it.

"You were born on a busy day," he answered, unbagging the grocieries. "Where's Gem?" he wondered, scanning the room behind me.

I leaned against the bar. "She and Tony went to go get alcohol," I told him as my mother and Troy came in, carrying bags. Troy was carrying, like, twenty with my mom carrying two.

"Thanks Twinkz," my mother said, making him smile. She nicknamed him Twinkle Toes because he's quiet sometimes. He just sneaks up on ya. Twinkz for short.

"Any time," he replied, smiling at her, then flipped his hair so it wasn't on his face. "So, can I help with anything?" he offered.

My mother nodded. "Uh, yeah, you can go entertain my daughter," she responded, gesturing her head towards me.

Troy grinned. "Good, because I suck at cooking, but I'm good at entertaining your daughter," he informed her, making her smile, too.

My mom went on to say something to Conner about dinner as Troy made his way to me. He tugged on my belt loop, then his head nodded upwards, gesturing he wanted to go upstairs. I nodded back, letting him lead me. When we got to my room, we closed the door behind us, and he plopped down on my bed.

It should have been awkward. I mean, we just kissed downstairs. Not a best friend kiss, or even a peck on the lips kind of kiss, it was a full on kiss. A great kiss, an amazing kiss. It should have been awkward, but it wasn't. I started flicking through my CDs.

"What are you putting in?" he questioned from behind me.

I turned back. "A mix," I answered, holding up three CDs. "Do you want punk rock, alternative, or one consisting of mostly girl singers?" I asked him.

"Do you have one that has all three?" he replied, starting to look through my books.

"Maybe," I mumbled back, thinking about it, then turned around again to look. "Yep," I finally answered, putting it in the CD player.

I started back for my bed, and saw Troy thumbing through a book Tay had lent me, claiming I had to read it. "Is there any sex in this book?" he asked, making it so I had to rip it from his hands, like usual. "What?" he questioned, laughing while looking up at me.

"You ask that every time!" I reminded him, sticking it back in the bookshelf.

"Because I want to know!" he said while mimicking my voice.

I smiled. "My answer is always that I don't know, I haven't read it, but probably not. Just because they are love stories does not mean they bang every five minutes," I informed him. "There is more to love than just sex," I explained to him.

He grabbed me by the waist, then proceeded to quickly bring me down to the bed, laughing the entire time. He had pulled me over him, then rolled over so he was partly on top of me. "I know that," he assured me. "You know, I think it's kinda cool your mom trusts you up here with a boy in your room," he said in a low voice. A finger of his brushed hair away from my face.

"She doesn't see you as a boy," I told him as one of my hands slid up his back, and the other grab onto his shirt. "She sees you as a good friend of mine, one that wouldn't take advantage of her perfectly innocent daughter," I went on. I really didn't want to mess this up, but I knew Troy wouldn't be a total ass if I did something wrong.

"Oh, you're perfectly innocent now?" he questioned, his head dipping close to mine.

I shook my head a little. "Nah. But, I could use a little corrupting," I whispered, looking into his eyes.

"Are you giving me the okay to corrupt you?" he wondered, his nose brushing against mine. I nodded. "What changed?" he asked in a low tone, his lips brushing against mine. Damn. He's one helluva turn on.

"I don't know," I replied in the same low voice. I wasn't in the mood for opening up. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to enjoy the fact that he was paying non-best friendy attention to me.

He smiled softly. "Gonna have to do better than that, babe," he informed me. Alright, I'm not gonna lie, I liked when he called me babe. It felt good. "Something changed, and I wanna know what it is so I can keep changing it," he said.

I shook my head, getting up on my elbows so I was closer to him. "Troy, it's my birthday," I reminded him, trying to inch my lips closer to his, but he caught on.

I felt my face getting hot because I had suddenly grown a pair of balls, metaphorically of course. "I know, trust me, I do. But, if you want me to do anything, you're gonna tell me what I want to know. Call it a string, if you will. You tell me, I kiss you, we both get what we want," he responded.

"Oh, and like you don't want to be kissed either?" I questioned, getting a little annoyed.

"That's not the point. I could kiss you right now, you wouldn't stop me. Just like you could initiate the kiss yourself right now, the only thing is that I'll stop you... eventually," he told me. "Just tell me, and I'll give you what you want. You're a little stubborn, you know?" he asked.

I frowned. "Fine," I agreed, making him smile wider. "I'm not good with this type of thing, so go with me here," I started, and he nodded. "I'm- I don't know. I'm sick of not being like this with you. Make sense?" I wondered.

"Good enough for me," he replied. "I can figure out what it means later," he mumbled, leaning in close again. His lips finally connected with mine, making me smile into it as we kissed.

Confession time, I've only had three boyfriends before. Three. All three relationships didn't make it past the three month mark, some barely scraped a month a half. That doesn't mean we didn't spend time kissing. I know I'm okay, but am I good compared to Troy? He's had sex before, lots of times before, and even though I've wanted to, I know I'm probably nothing compared to the girls he's been with before.

"What?" Troy asked, pulling away.

I shook off my glossy look. "Huh?" I muttered back.

"Brie, I know when a girl is completely into a kiss, and when she's not. You're not, what's up?" he wondered.

I fell back onto my bed. My face was getting warmer. Damn it. I didn't want to screw this up. I groaned. "I'm sorry," I managed to get out.

Troy removed my hands that had covered up my face. "Why?" he asked, kissing the edge of my mouth.

"I don't know. I'm being weird, and nervous, and," I stopped at that.

He smiled at me. "You don't gotta be nervous with me, Brie," he insisted, his body covering me a little more. "It's me, Troy, your best friend," he reminded me.

I let out a laugh. "That's weird!" I stated, biting my lip. "You just said yourself we're best friends," I repeated.

"And, you just said you were sick of not being with me like this," he said. "You need to relax. Stop thinking, stop wondering why we're doing this, stop everything, except being with me," he instructed. "You don't have to be nervous, or anything like that. It's me. You trust me, right?" he questioned.

I looked up at the ceiling. I did, do, whatever. I do trust him. It surprised me, I don't trust easily. But I trusted him, fully. I looked back into his eyes. "Yeah," I confirmed.

"Then stop getting so worked up," he told me. He got up on his arm so he was above me. I did as I was told, and relaxed. I stopped thinking, I stopped everything except kissing him. Now, I'm not gonna lie, Troy taught me a thing.. or three.

Troy and I told my mom he was staying over that night for my birthday, and assured her Tony would be up almost all night, drunk, so we would be fine. She approved with little insisting. She thinks Troy is just my best friend, not.. whatever he is. My dad, along with some family friends stopped by around eight, and stayed 'til a little after nine. It was nice. My dad was nice to Troy, for the first time meeting him, and didn't make any fatherly jokes like he usually would. Erin was outspoken, like usual, and kept pointing out how cute Troy was.

The family friends, Bryan and Shawn were cooler. They babysat us, and are about fifteen years older than me. They changed my diapers. Apparently, for most of the night, they thought Troy and I were a little too close, and kept sending Tony or Lauren over to sit in between us, or bug us. Nothing changed between Troy and I. We may have made out for about an hour (an awesome hour) but I felt the same. I felt like it should be weird, but it wasn't. We acted the same, flirty, touchy when no one was looking, and laughed a lot. It was us, and I liked it.

After they had left, Tony, Gemma, Lauren, Conner, and my mom were still in birthday party mode, playing loud music, eating cake, talking, the norm. I was outside, on the balcony, with Troy's button up he had taken off earlier. It smelled like him. It wasn't freezing, we live in New Mexico, but it was cold to me. I was still cold in Troy's shirt. I wasn't just hanging out there, I was crying.

Someone must have noticed I was gone, or just wanted to come hang outside, and caught me. "Brie, where'd you," Troy stopped when I looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, quickly coming up to me.

I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm fine," I assured him, wiping my tears away. He pushed my hands away to brush my tears away himself.

"This isn't fine. It's your birthday, you should be happy. You can go see R-rated movies now," he tried to make my laugh. Wow, R-rated movies, ya know? "What's wrong, baby, is it because of what happened in your bedroom?" he wondered, wrapped an arm around me. Don't think I didn't notice he called me baby. It made my insides bubble.

I shook my head again. "No, Troy, that was the highlight of my birthday," I told him, sniffling. "I cry on my birthday every year. You can go back inside, I'll be in soon," I said.

He shook his head this time. "I'm not going anywhere," he replied, his free hand wiping away more tears. "Why do you cry every year on your birthday?"

"Because," I started. "Because Nick's not here, for the third year in a row to celebrate it, and I don't care," I told him. "The last two times he was locked up, in a juvenile center two years ago, and in jail last year," I explained. "How messed up is it that I don't care? Because we financially suck, all the time. Because my dad came over, but my mother hated it. Because it's Lauren's birthday, too, and she feels like she's old because half the time she acts like my mother. Because Tony is scared as hell to be a dad, but I know he'll be great at it. Because all my grandparents are dead, and I barely remember them, which I know kills my parents. Because I'm scared that I won't graduate college or something, and disappoint my family. And, because sometimes I just want to say 'fuck it' and not deal with it all like Nick does, but I can't do that to my mom. One disappointment is already too much for her."

Troy didn't say anything, something I was grateful for. He pulled me close in a tight hug, and held me. It was cold outside, but Troy felt warm. My crying was slowing already, but I didn't want to stop hugging him. "I know you've been through more shit than most people at school, Brie," he finally said in my ear over five minutes later. "You're family is dysfunctional, I'm not going to lie," he stated. "You've had to deal with a lot, and it sucks for you. You've had a lot of disappointments in your life, with your parents, your brothers, and trying to be as good as Lauren is in your parent's eyes, I know. But, I'm not going to be one of them, Brie, I'm not gonna be another disappointment for you," he told me.

"Promise?" I asked, pulling away a little to look up at him.

He nodded. "I promise, Gabriella. I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens," he assured me.

I sniffled again. "Good, because I can't take another disappointment, at least, not from you."

* * *

**I like this chapter.**

**Damn, I wish this stuff would happen. The whole crying on the birthday thing does happen, it's just no one ever sees me. Well, my mom caught me once.**

**Review please.**

**-- Kayleigh**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, I'm already on to the next one.**

**I can't wait to post these.**

**Chapter 4**

**Review, review, review!**

**

* * *

**

It's been a week. Well, six days. It's Friday, finally. Actually, the week has gone by pretty quick.

"I'm sorry I dressed normal," I apologized again. "I didn't get the memo, literally," I said.

Apparently, Kelsi and Taylor felt like going to school a little more emoier that we already are. Kelsi is in black pants that have a bunch of studs, and chains, but they aren't obnoxious, along with a black corset-like top. She looks pretty hott. So does Tay, wearing a black skirt with black and white stockings that go mid-thigh, and she's wearing a black corset-like top, too, but they are different. I'm wearing black pants with holes in the knees, and a light blue shirt that has a black heart on the side, all scribbled in with an arrow through it. Along with black converse, and I put my hair up.

"Next time, check your text messages in the morning," Kelsi replied, leaning against the windowsill.

I nodded. "I will, geez. Damn, I just got those black and white plaid pants, too!" I reminded myself. "We need to coordinate emo days," I commented.

"Where the hell is Chad?" Taylor wondered for the eighth time.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you, as soon as we walked in the building Coach Bolton grabbed 'em, and pulled them into the guy's locker room," I repeated. Coach Bolton started working here about a week before my birthday. Troy hates it, and is glad they wouldn't allow him to his gym teacher. Too bad he is mine, and he loves making us girls run the track. "Where's Ryan?" I asked Kelsi, noticing he wasn't here.

"Drama room. He had some quick morning meeting at the request of the Ice Queen," she filled me in. I nodded in understanding.

I wanted to say that I wished Coach Bolton would hurry his ass up because I wanted to see Troy, but I didn't. Taylor is the only one who knows about Troy and I. Chad might, not sure. Kelsi doesn't, I wanted to tell her, but she'd get to excited and tell, or keep giving us looks that would make people guess. There isn't even much to tell. We aren't really anything. We make out once in a while, for a long time. I went over his house to study for history on Tuesday. Let's just say it turned into the Cruel Intentions scene where Sarah Michelle Geller teaches Selma Blair how to kiss, only Sarah Michelle was Troy. To sum it all up for ya, fun. I mean, I've done it before, but not like I do it with Troy.

"I'm bored," I sighed, raising my arms to make sure my hair still looked good.

"Good thing I am here, then, huh?" I heard in my ear as arms wrapped around my waist, making me squeal a little. Just a little.

I smiled, letting my arms fall. "Sure is," I agreed, turning around. I wrapped my own arms around him in a hug. "What'd your dad want?" I asked when we pulled away.

"To tell me the same thing he has everyday for the past week," Troy answered. "That the only reason my Aunt Meredith isn't coming down to stay with me is because my mom has faith in me, blah, blah, blah," he went on. "It's all a bunch of bullshit, I'm eighteen, I don't need a babysitter," he stated.

I shook my head. "Yet, you're throwing a party anyways," I mentioned. His parents are going to some couple's retreat about three hours away this weekend. His dad is even skipping the game. Shocker. Everyone calls him Coach, but he isn't the head coach yet, but he will be next year. He usually goes to the games, but he isn't absolutely needed.

Troy grinned. "It's a classic, I can't resist the classics," he responded. "You're still coming by to help set up, right?" he questioned, wagging his eyebrows once.

"If you want me to," I said, biting my lip.

"You don't even gotta ask that question," he insisted. "I always want you," he told me.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh, and hug him again. "You're such a flirt," I informed him as we pulled away.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But, it's the funnest with you," he assured me. "Everything is funner with you," he said lowly.

"More fun," I corrected. "Funner isn't a word," I told him.

"You know what," he started, his hands at my sides. "I don't care," he finished, tickling me. I squealed, laughing, and tried to find protection. Good thing my instincts told me to get closer to him. Not fair. "That's a good result," he commented with me smashed against him.

"Damn, why don't you two just make out already?" Chad spoke up from behind me.

Troy looked from Chad, to me, and back. I'm not sure why that tells me it's not good what he is thinking."If you really want," he replied, grabbing me, then dipped me low like they did in the old-fashioned movies. His face came close when the bell rang.

"Saved by the bell," I mumbled, completely at ease in his arms.

"Sucks, huh?" Troy responded, standing me back up, but not before twirling me.

I giggled. "Thanks," I said, picking my bag up.

Troy wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked down the hall. The only thing I saw was Sharpay's glare as we walked down the hall together. I knew her glares, and they were never a good thing.

-

"So, I think we did a good job," Troy stated around seven that night.

I got up on my elbows from the couch. "For the hour we locked all your valuables away, and got out the minuscule amount of food, and put the beer on ice, yeah," I agreed, pressing my lips to his. He kissed me back for a moment. In the week I've been fooling around with Troy, I've gone farther than I did with any other guy. Of course, farther means our shirts coming off, and my bra. Well, my bra was only once. Yesterday, it was a spur of the moment thing. Not that I minded. That was great.

"It's a job well done," he went on, kissing me again.

"Job well done or not, I have to go home," I told him, sliding out from underneath him. Well, I sat up.

"What?" he asked, sitting up, too. "Why do you have to leave?" he questioned.

I stood. "I have to get ready for your party," I told him, straightening out my clothes.

He grabbed onto my arms, and suddenly I was underneath him again. "Fuck my party, stay here," he said, pinning my hands down. It kinda liked it, not gonna lie.

"I can't just fuck your party, not only can you not have sex with a party, in this sense of the word anyways, not that I would prefer it in any other way either. Anyways, if I blow off your party people will show up here anyways," I reminded him, lifting my head up to try and kiss him.

He smiled, leaning away. "Oh, you want to leave, then you want to kiss me?" he asked, letting my hands go to put a hand on either side of me, holding himself up above me.

"Troy, I'm supposed to meet Taylor at my house so she can help me get ready," I informed him, frowning when he still resisted to kiss me. "You know, I am a little sick of you having all the power in the... whatever this is," I admitted.

"If you don't leave we can do whatever you want," he compromised. Oh, God, that is tempting. "Come on," he whispered, his lips going down my neck. My eyes fluttered closed.

I let out a breath. "I have to go home," I sighed, making him stop, and me open my eyes. "I have to get ready, and talk with my mom. I'm sleeping over Tay's tonight," I told him.

"You are, are you? Does that mean you can stay extra late tonight since she has an outside door into her room?" he wondered, slightly above me again.

"Mm-hm," I agreed, getting up to kiss him. He actually let me. "So, I'm leaving now," I said, kissing him again. It was quick, so he couldn't pull me into it.

He got up, pulling me up with him. "I'll drive you home," he stated, fixing his own clothes.

"Troy, the party," I mentioned, looking around at his house.

"Brie, the party won't be starting until after the basketball game, that means around nine. It's six," he reminded me. "Plus, I gotta get something from your brother," he added, running a hand through his hair.

Oh. I nodded, leading him down the steps to the door where our shoes were. As soon as we got to my house, Taylor was there, sitting on the front steps, bored. She left the game early for me. We went up to my room, and he went downstairs to talk to my brother. He yelled goodbye as he left.

"I look like a slut," I stated as Chad honked outside for us to go out. The Wildcats won, yippee.

"You don't look like a slut. You're petite, and you have bitchin' legs, show 'em off," Taylor told me.

I rolled my eyes. "Bye, Mom, I'll be home tomorrow!" I called out as we went down the steps.

"Be good!" she shouted back.

"I know. Love you!" I yelled to her.

"Love you, too," she responded in a loud voice.

We went outside to where Chad was waiting in his step-dad's car. "So lucky. Your mom just lets you go like that," Taylor muttered as we left.

I smiled. The good thing about your mom thinking you are the good one, she believes you are more responsible than you are. "Whatever. At least when you bend over, your ass won't pop out," I replied, opening the back door of the Range Rover.

I'm wearing possibly the tightest, shortest skirt in the world. Okay, maybe it's not the tightest, it doesn't cut into my gut or legs or anything, but it is short. It's a white metallic looking skirt, and hugs my upper thighs like a second skin, literally. I'm wearing a black top that has a few buttons in the chest area, but they don't unbutton, don't know why. It has a deep v-neck to show some cleavage, but not everything, and the sleeves go to my elbows. The top, also hugs everything I got, making it look bigger than it is. I wore black gladiator high heels with it. My hair was parted on the side, so bangs swept to the left on my forehead. The top of my hair was straightened, the bottom was a little wavy, looking slightly messy, but really good. I took time doing my make up today, putting more on than usual, but not as much as other girls, and I looked pretty great in the end, at least I thought so.

"You're ass won't pop out, and if it does, at least your wearing that cute black underwear," Taylor looked on the bright side.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Tay," I mumbled, dropping my bag on the seat next to me.

Taylor and Chad kissed for a moment. He said something to her that I didn't hear, something that made her giggle and kiss him again. "Hey, Gab," he greeted once the car was in drive.

"Hey," I repeated, pulling my phone out of my purse to see what time it was. Nine thirty. Chad wanted to shower and change before the party. I really didn't mind showing up late. These parties aren't all they are cracked up to be, I'd much rather be watching a bad movie with my friends, or walking around town than doing this shit. It has been a while since someone threw a good one. It's also been a while since I've actually been to one. Plus, a party with Troy and all my friends should be entertaining enough.

We were at Troy's house minutes later, but we parked in Chad's driveway. Troy's house looked to be bumpin' and jumpin' with kids. Great.

"Chad, I'm leaving my stuff in your car," I informed him as we got out, slipping my phone into the small pocket I had in the skirt.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around Taylor was we walked. "Looks like the party is a success," he commented, walking up the steps to Troy's door.

"What do you expect? It's Troy," Taylor replied. "He's friends with everyone," she stated.

"With some of us more than others," Chad agreed, opening the door for Taylor and I. It's a good thing Troy has a huge house (one that is way too big for three people and a dog, to this he agrees). Speaking of Puppy, he's in Troy's parent's room. Troy said he'd go pet her once in a while. Poor doggy.

"What a coincidence," Troy said as we walked up the steps to his living room, meeting him at the top. "Nice win, man," he complimented Chad, giving him that manly half hug. Chad's on the basketball team, but that doesn't exactly make him popular, it just makes him less picked on than other kids.

Chad nodded. "Yeah. Looks like your party is doing good," he told him.

Troy shrugged. "What can I say? I throw good parties," he responded sarcastically, not to mention a little cockily. I watched as he said hi to Taylor, and hugged her, then made her laugh at something he said. When he finally got to me, his sexy grin appeared. "Damn, I'm glad I let you go home," he mentioned, his hands on my waist. "You look great, Brie," he confirmed, hugging me.

With heels on, my forehead was at his nose. The good thing was that it was perfect for my head and his shoulder. I buried my face into his neck for the few moments we hugged, like always, he smelled nice with his unique scent. We pulled away, and I gripped the opening to his button up shirt. "This is some shirt," I commented, smiling. I glanced up to see him smiling, too.

"I know, right?" he questioned, grabbing my hands. His button up was open with a black t-shirt underneath. The plaid button up itself was a mixture of blue, black, green, and tints of orange. It was an interesting shirt. He wore tight jeans low on his hips, showing his black boxers, along with black converse. "And, that's some skirt," he murmured softly. I felt pink tint my cheeks lightly, causing him to chuckle. "You do look beautiful."

I nodded a little. "Thanks," I mumbled a reply.

"Troy!" some guy yelled from across the room.

He looked back, then turned his head to me, again. "Gotta go, Brie. I'm the host, and all," he reminded me, squeezing my hands.

I nodded again. "Uh-huh," I responded.

"Aw, don't look so sad, it's not like I'll be busy all night. Trust me, I wish I was hanging out with you," he confessed, letting my hands go. His finger hooked under my chin for a second as he walked away. "I'll see ya soon," he promised, walking away.

I watched, with a sigh, as he walked over to a popular guy. I also watched as a girl, a girl I knew to not be the most virginal, throw herself at him in a hug. And, I watched as he returned the hug with as much force, a grin on his face. Hey, he can do what he wants, that's fine. We're not... anything like that. That doesn't mean it doesn't irk me a little.

I found Chad and Taylor, along with a couple of our friends, and proceeded to hang out with them. I'm not a beer person, it tastes bad. With that, children of alcoholics are twice as likely to become alcoholics themselves. I got two alcoholics for parents, whether they both admit it or not (one does, one doesn't, I don't have the heart to say anything about it). So, I drank a coke, leaning against the wall, and tried not to act like I was wondering where Troy was.

"Stop making fun of me, I'm right here!" I exclaimed, pretending to get mad at my friends.

Kelsi and Taylor couldn't stop laughing. "Remember when you called us all lesbians by accident?" Kelsi asked. Her mother finally set her free. She has a curfew at eleven thirty, though.

I shook my head. "I don't even know why I said 'lesbians at the lunch table' when I meant friends," I muttered grumpily.

"Then, when you told Martha you'd look her up in the dictionary, when you meant phone book?" Taylor questioned, making Martha laugh heartily.

"And, when you told Taylor green wasn't your favorite color in the alphabet?" Martha wondered, laughing some more.

I groaned. "Can we talk about Chad's dumb comments now?" I wondered. "Remember when that Dave kid was pissing him off in science earlier this year, and when everyone was silent, with the projector on, he said 'biiiitch'?" I questioned.

"No, we're not in that class, but you told us about it, and Chad and you couldn't stop laughing," Ryan replied.

Chad and I were already laughing. "That was funny," he confirmed, wrapping an arm around Taylor's waist. "But not nearly as funny as some of the shit you say," he corrected. "Or as funny as watching you and Troy have a conversation," he added. "The other day, they went on about her killing him, then him becoming an incubus, I don't know, that was weird," he stated.

"And, funny," Taylor went on.

"You guys keep making fun of me, I'm going to go get another drink," I told them I was walking away.

I got a water from the fridge, and went the long way back so I might've been able to spot Troy. I got stopped when I passed the bathroom because of the line. When I finally broke free, I heard Troy's voice. I moved over to the wall so I wasn't blocking anyone's way, and looked around. He was in a different part of the living room, with a different group of people. He was sitting on the arm of a chair, his arm around a girl, with her practically sitting on his lap. He was saying something while using his hands to help him speak. I couldn't help but notice how when his hand bobbed, it came very close to her boob. As I watched, she moved closer to him, and I was ninety five percent sure his hand touched her boob.

I sighed, immensely let down, but I deserved it. We never talked about what we were, we kinda put off that talk. I wasn't sure of the outcome, truthfully. He's had girlfriends, I know that, hell I know how he lost his virginity. I know I like him, so much it's illegal, and I'm ninety percent sure he likes me back. Hey, he's a flirt, I don't want to be tooooo sure, then it might hurt later. I've been in relationships, too, but never with a guy I liked as much as I like him. I didn't know if I was ready to completely give myself to him, in the theoretical manner, the physical part, uh, yeah. I'm horrible.

"It won't happen, you know," I heard next to me, so I looked. Oh, my fucking.. Sharpay.

I looked away. "Wow, she speaks, it's been what? Six years or so?" I wondered, pushing off the wall.

"Something like that. So? It still won't happen," she repeated.

I let out a breath. "Just to get you to leave, I'll bite. What won't happen?" I questioned, sipping my water.

"Are you stupid, or do you just think I am? You and Troy. You two won't happen," she answered. "Guys like him don't date girls like you. I see you two in the hall, the big smile you get when he pays attention to you, when he hugs you, compliments you," she went on. A lump grew in my throat. Don't let her get to you. "You do realize he does that with every girl he comes into contact with, right? You are two different people. He's popular, fun, hott, and you're an emo, boring, and while you do have the body, it still won't work," she told me.

I turned my head. "Why the fuck do you care, Blondie?" I asked her, crossing my arms. "I don't see him over here paying attention to you, do I?" I questioned.

Her face darkened at Blondie. "I care because it's pathetic, you're pathetic. He'll never go for you," she stated. "I don't see him paying attention to you, either. The difference? I'll something about it," she told me. "Excuse me," she added, walking away. She went right over to Troy, said something that made him turn to her. He let go the girl he was holding to hug her. They hugged too long. When they pulled away, if you call it that, the only thing that pulled away was her head from his chest. She said something else that made him laugh, then she kissed the corner of his mouth. He smiled, and they hugged again, swaying back and forth as they did.

I didn't, and couldn't, watch anymore. I went upstairs, bypassing people making out on the steps. I heard Puppy's faint barking from his parent's room, and decided to go see her. I jimmied the lock with the tweezers that were on the ground next to the door (they are there for this reason). "Hey, girl," I said in a low voice, trying so hard to swallow that lump in my throat.

She wagged her tail when she saw me, then tried to lick my face, but I didn't let her.

"Did Troy not come up to say hi tonight?" I wondered, petting her. "Good thing I'm here, his best friend," I said, getting down onto my butt, and leaned against his parent's bed. "His best friend with benefits, if that is all I'll ever be. Fuck, I let her get to me," I mumbled, pulling my legs up to my chest. My skirt was probably showing more than I would have wanted it to, but I didn't care, I locked the door. "Fuck!" I yelled, clenching my fists.

I wanted to cry, but I didn't. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. He does like me, I'm his best friend, he's told me how annoying he finds her. He calls me sexy, and beautiful, and promised he wouldn't be another disappointment. I tried to lift the sadness from me, but wasn't sure how. After fifteen minutes of listening to the blaring music below, and petting Puppy for a while until she fell asleep, I got up to leave. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I wanted to leave the room. It was weird hanging out in his parent's room.

I went down the steps, running into Troy, who was about to walk up. "There you are. Where the hell have you been?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Around, like you," I replied snidely, crossing my arms.

"You okay?" he questioned, tilting his head at me.

I nodded. "I'm fine," I assured him.

"No, you're not, I know when you're okay, and when you're not," he informed me, his hands settling on my hips. "What's wrong?" he wondered.

I shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering where you've been yourself," I responded.

"Brie, I told you, I had to say hi to people, and that I would find you after. I've been lookin' for you for about five minutes now," he told me.

"Okay," I said in return.

"What are you pissed about?" he asked again, his hands leaving my hips.

I shrugged again. "Nothing," I repeated.

"Cut the shit, Gabriella, I know you. You're pissed. Why don't you just fuckin' tell me so we can have a good time tonight?" he questioned.

"I'm pretty sure you were having an okay night all night," I replied. "It's not like you've been alone," I explained.

He nodded in understanding now. "This is about the girls," he stated, figuring it out. Well, we have a winner, folks! "Come on, you know I'm a flirt, chill out," he told me.

"I'm chill, don't worry," I informed him.

"Great," he said sarcastically.

I was getting pissier. "You can hang out with whatever bitch you want," I assured him.

"I will," he agreed with a nod of his head.

"And, you can kiss any girl you want, too," I added.

"I know," he went on.

"Fine!" I exclaimed, not wanting to talk to him.

He grinned. "Fine!" he mimicked, but actually meant it. I felt like slapping him.

I rolled my eyes, and went to leave. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back, then pinned me against the wall. His lips were on mine, his lips moving with mine before I even registered it. It was instinct to kiss back, natural. My hands threaded into his hair, while his hands slid down to my butt. I let his tongue into my mouth so it could play with my own. I felt so good I thought I'd burst. It felt kind of naughty to do it in public, too, seeing as no one knows we're anything besides friends. We pulled away, both heaving for oxygen when we did.

"I can kiss any girl I want," he agreed again. "But, I want to kiss you," he stated, pressing himself closer to me. I was quiet for a moment, slightly shocked by what he said. "What? You're speechless now? That's interesting," he commented, kissing me softly.

"I-I'm.." I trailed off.

"Gonna be late for class?" he guessed, a grin on his face.

I visually swallowed. "Gotta go," I corrected, removing myself from his grip, and darted up the steps. I went to the only room I knew I wouldn't feel out of place on. Troy's room. I've spent hours in there with him, listening to music, talking, watching movies, fooling around, and hanging out (which could translate to play fighting, I always win. Then again he always lets me win, stating he likes getting me on top, effectively making me blush). His room was locked, too, but again, I used the tweezers.

His room was in it's usual disarray, clothes all around, books spewed about, CDs and DVDs in odd places. The only thing neat about it was the fact that his bed was made. I sat down on the bed, and took off the heels that were killing my feet. There were, at the maximum, two photos up. One was of him, and his parents. He looked a little younger than he is now, but not much, a year at the most. His mom was in the middle, her arms around her husband and son, all three smiling widely.

Lucy Bolton is good at what she does, being a lawyer, so she's very successful. I've met her a few times, she's nice, and I know from my few times of being with her, Troy is her baby boy. She can't stay mad at him for too long, nor punish him for real unless he's done something really bad. She always ungrounds him when his father does, and he gets away with everything he possibly can. I've been here when Jack had ground him, and he begged her to let him leave. She was stern for maybe three minutes, then he smiled at her, and she let him go easily enough a few minutes later.

The only other photo was of Troy and three other people, two guys and a girl. Abby, David, and Neal. I knew they were friends throughout high school back at his old school. They still talk today, but they don't hang out much. The girl was beautiful, and when Troy caught me staring at it once, he told me she was just a friend. A girlfriend to one of the guys in the picture to be exact, Neal's girlfriend. His dog was in the picture, too.

I was only alone a few more seconds before the door opened in front of me. Damn, I forgot to lock it. "I knew you'd come in here," Troy stated, walking in, and locked the door behind him.

"I'm that predictable," I mumbled, crossing my leg over the other, then began to massage my foot.

He sat down next to me, and clapped. The light next to his bed blinked on. Yeah, he has that clap light thing. The first time I was in here, I played around with it for almost ten minutes. Troy just laughed at me, completely amused. "Nah, all the other rooms are taken with people havin' sex, and my parent's room is locked with the dog in it," he informed me.

"You're just okay with people having sex at your house?" I asked, a little disgusted.

He shrugged. "Some of them aren't going all the way, but it's not like I sleep in those beds, either. Plus, it's a party, it's expected. And, it's not like I won't be changing the sheets tomorrow during my day-long clean up," he told me.

"I went to see Puppy a little bit ago. She fell asleep while I was in there," I said, running a hand through my hair.

He chuckled. "You're at a high school party, and you hang out with my dog," he rephrased, chuckling some more. "I love you, Brie," he told me. I didn't freak out when he said he loves me. It's not like it was some love confession. He means as a friend, a best friend. He loves me, but he's not in love with me. I love him, too.

I nodded, looking down at my hands. "I'm a little off, you know that," I reminded him, staring at my black nails. "You know the real reason I got pissed tonight?" I questioned, finally peering up at him.

"I was flirting with girls," he answered himself. "You know I don't mean anything by it, right? It's just, like, I don't know, a Bolton trait. My dad does it, my mom hates it, I grew up seeing it. It happens," he explained it.

I shook my head. "It's not just the girls, Troy. You can flirt with whoever you want, we're not together, although it did kind of upset me. But, I'm okay with that, I know it's a part of who you are. What really pissed me off was you flirting with Sharpay," I told him.

A laugh escaped his lips. "Gabriella-"

"She talked to me tonight, you know," I cut him off. "For the first time since the middle of her eighth grade year, and my seventh. She spoke to me," I repeated.

"What'd she say?" he wondered, turning his head to me.

I let out a breath, then glanced down at my nails again. "That I was pathetic because of the way I act around you. Because I'm happier when you're around, and everything, and since you could never be interested in me, I'm pathetic. She said we could never work-"

I was cut off this time, and this time it was because his lips were against mine. Our foreheads touched as we kissed, and his hands cupped my face gently. Every time we kiss, my heart beats fast and flies to my throat, and my stomach does constant flip flops. He also takes my breath away. We didn't kiss for a long even though I would have been totally okay with it. "You're not pathetic," he stated, still leaning in close to me.

I pulled away, clearing my throat as I did. "Thanks," I muttered softly.

"And, you know how I feel about Sharpay," he added. "She's a bitch, annoying, and parts of her body are fake, that's a turn off," he insisted. His hand slipped onto my thigh, his thumb on my inner thigh, rubbing small circles on it. "You are real. This is real," he told me, and we both leaned in at the same time until our foreheads touched. "If we wanted it to, this could work," he added softly, his lips brushing against mine.

My breath caught in my throat. "Troy-"

"Brie, don't say anything," he instructed, and my eyes lowered to his lips. I felt something shift around us, the feeling of the room changed. It was tension, sexual tension. He must have felt it too, because when my eyes looked into his again, his eyes were darker, more serious. "If you want anything to happen right now," he started in a low voice. "You have to start it," he stated, shifting closer to me.

I wasn't sure exactly what would happen. I knew what could happen between us right then. I knew what I would be okay with happening, and I knew what I wanted to happen between us right then, too. I wasn't sure if what I wanted to happen would happen, but I had a chance, and after wondering for so long, and liking Troy so much for what seemed like too long, I leaned forward. I nodded ever so slightly, and pressed my lips to his.

To say what happened after that was a blur, would be a lie, and the truth at the same time. It's hard to explain. I mean, now it seems like it went by way too fast, but in the moment, it was slow. It was also perfect, at least to me it was. He was perfect in my eyes.

Yes, I, Gabriella Montez, finally lost it. I'm no longer a virgin.

It wasn't awkward, or forced, we took our time. More like he took his time, I was new to almost all of it. I wasn't sure how long it took, I really didn't care. All I know is that after, when Troy and I were laying together (okay, cuddling), and his fingers were softly moving through my hair he suddenly said 'Brie, it's three AM.' We got dressed silently, and before we left the room, he kissed me one last time.

We went downstairs, and people were still there, but most left. I found Chad and Taylor, who wondered where I was the whole time. I told them I found Troy, and we hung out together for a while.

"For four hours?" Taylor had said.

"Four hours?" I repeated back to her.

Chad nodded. "Yeah, we've been looking all over you, even called and texted you because we know guys at this school are dicks, but you didn't answer," he said. "Tay got worried."

I shrugged a little. "I guess we just lost track of time," I responded. "And, my phone was on silent."

While I was with them, Troy was clearing the house of the rest of the people. Once everyone was gone, we picked up a little, then Taylor said we had to get to her house. We said bye to Troy, and Chad drove us to Taylor's house. We fell asleep, and I didn't even tell her.

When I woke up the next morning, Taylor was already up, and on her computer. I must have made a noise, because she turned around. "Morning, Sunshine," she greeted, and I smiled back softly. "It's noon, ya know," she informed me.

I snuggled down into one of her pillows. She has bunk beds, but we both always sleep on the bottom because the top is full of old art projects. We're girls, chill, nothing happens. "Don't care, still tired," I mumbled back, feeling soreness in my pelvis. A wide smile covered my face, and I even giggled a little. "Hey, Tay," I started, still comfy on her bed. It's actually a futon bed.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking back at me again.

"I'm not a virgin anymore," I confessed. When I saw her face, I couldn't help but laugh.

She turned the whole computer chair. "You're kidding, right?" she questioned, doubt on her face.

I shook my head. "Nope. At the party, when Troy and me disappeared. You really thinking we were talking for four hours?" I wondered.

"I thought you fooled around, not went all the way!" she exclaimed.

"Geez, say it a little louder, will you?" I asked, sitting up a little. "It's not like you don't have a gazzilion people leaving here," I reminded her. She lives with her mom, step-dad, and two sisters, Tya (pronounced Tia), and Tatyana. Taylor's the middle child. Tatyana is technically her half-sister but they don't think of each other like that.

She got off the chair, and sat down with me on the bed. "You really did it it?" she asked. "I mean, I know you weren't exactly going to wait, but I at least thought you'd be in a relationship," she told me honestly.

I grabbed onto the bar above me to hoist myself up into a sitting position. "Me, too, but it just happened. Long story short, I was pissed at him a little for.. never mind, and we got into this fight about how he can flirt with whoever he wants, and kiss whoever he wants. He kept saying 'I know' or something. I was going to walk away, but he grabbed me, and kissed me. He said he could kiss other girls, but he wanted to kiss me."

"Aw," Taylor commented.

I nodded, smiling. "I know. I ran upstairs, a little confused, and he followed. We were just talking, and the mood shifted. He said that if I wanted anything to happen, I had to start it. So, I kissed him. It lead to.. well, sex," I told her. "Besides, it was Troy," I added like it meant something. It did mean something. To me.

"You used protection, right?" she asked, getting all parental.

I nodded, sighing. "Yes, Ma," I assured her.

"Did it hurt?" she wondered, seriously curious and interested in the answer.

I nodded again. "In the beginning, but it faded after a little bit. He was really sweet, and gentle, Tay, he didn't push for anything. It was perfect. Then, it was- I don't actually know how to explain it," I admitted, making her laugh. "I've never actually had an orgasm before," I reminded her.

"How many did you have?" she questioned. She's had them before, but not from sex. Virgin, hello.

I shrugged. "I don't really remember," I told her.

She laughed again. "What? Not that good?" she joked.

I shook my head. "No, it's not that. Trust me, it was great, better than words. It's not like I counted, though. I just- I wanted to savor every moment, and my mind clouded over. I know it was more than one. I know that doesn't make sense. It's one long.. pleasurable blur," I tried looking for the right words.

"You used a condom every time, right? I mean, after the first initial-"

"Yes, Tay, damn," I assured her again. "Don't worry."

I pulled a blanket up around him. "Is it bad I wanna do it again really bad?" I asked her. "I mean, Taylor.. I don't know, it was better than words."

She smiled. "Not sure, it's probably normal," she replied. "I'm glad you lost it in a way that is perfect for you," she added.

"I don't know how he feels about it, though," I mumbled, nervousness settling in my stomach. "He told me sex means something to him, and I wanted it, and he must have, but I'm not sure if he's okay with it. You know what I am saying?" I wondered.

Taylor nodded. "I think," she responded. "Talk to him," she suggested.

Before I could reply, my phone went off. I reached through the ladder-thing and picked up my phone from her nightstand. "It's him," I squealed, sorta. What a cah-winky-dink.

"Well, answer it, you tard," she ordered.

I gave her hard look, then answered it. "Hello?" I said into it.

_"Hi," _Troy greeted.

I smiled. "Hey," I greeted back.

_"You still at Taylor's?" _he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, just woke up a little bit ago, actually," I answered.

_"You think you'd be ready to leave there in, like, an hour?" _he wondered. _"I think we should talk, maybe get something to eat," _he suggested.

"Yeah," I told him. "I just need to shower, and get dressed. Call when you're almost here," I instructed him.

_"Alright, it's a date. See you in a little bit," _he said before hanging up.

I closed my phone. "We're going out to eat to talk," I told her.

"I guess you get first dibs on a shower," she stated, and I nodded. Agreed.

Troy called five minutes before he got there. Taylor and I went out front to sit and wait for him. I had my purse, and a bag full of clothes. I sleep here a lot, clothes pile up. I left a pair of jeans a t-shirt in case I need it sometimes, but I took the rest with me. I put on a pair of black pants, and a white scoop neck shirt, with black converse, of course. I did my hair much like yesterday, parted on the side, and messy looking. My make up was done well again, too.

His car pulled into the driveway, the top up, and music blaring. Tay and I stood. We hugged. "Call me after," she pleaded in my ear.

I nodded. "Yeah, I will," I assured her, picking up my bags. "Tell your mom thanks for having me, like usual," I told her, and she nodded.

As I approached, the music went down. I opened the door, threw my bag in the back, and slid into the passenger seat. "Hey," he greeted me again, the music going down more.

"Hey," I repeated, pulling my hair over to one side.

"So, I've been cleaning since nine this morning, and I'm hungry as hell. You good with McDonald's?" he questioned, sending a wave to Taylor before putting the car into reverse.

I nodded. "Yeah," I agreed, waving at Taylor, too. "How is the clean up going?" I wondered as we drove, liking that this was normal, not awkward.

He shrugged slightly, his eyes on the rode. "Alright. Ryan and Chad showed up around ten thirty to help, so we got a lot of shit done. All I really have left is to wash the walls, make the beds, and do the dishes," he informed me.

I laughed a little. "Look at you. Mr. Suzy Homemaker," I teased.

Troy smiled, looking over at me for a moment. "What? I may have rich parents, but they didn't spoil me my whole life, I had weekly chores to do," he told me. "They called, and were proud they didn't get a call from the cops or anything. Trust me, that has happened before," he added. "Maybe I'll get a raise in my allowance," he muttered to himself.

"I still find it funny that you are eighteen, and you get an allowance of fifty dollars a week," I commented.

"What? I've had jobs, my mom just finds that my grades are better when I don't have one. So, she says as long as I keep my GPA above a 2.5, and I don't get in major trouble, she'd give me an allowance," he told me. "I have a 3.6 right now," he said.

"Funny, so do I," I reminded him.

He grinned, pulling into McDonald's. "What do you want, and I am paying with my allowance," he told me sternly.

We decided to eat at McDonald's after a mini fight in the car, and how he always gets irritated when things get spilled. Then he took me back to his house. "Wow, you guys really did clean this morning," I mentioned, walking up the steps to the main part of his house.

Troy nodded from he knees, petting Puppy. "You helped, too, didn't you, girl?" he asked the dog as she tried to lick his face. "We tied a garbage bag to her collar, and she pulled it around so we could throw shit in it," he admitted.

I chuckled, patting the top of her head. "Did that work?" I wondered.

"At first, then it got to heavy for her. I thought it might choke her. To solve the problem, she yanked herself out of the collar, and spilled the whole bag," he told me. "We gave her a seven point five for sticking the landing," he said.

I can't believe they judged his dogs like gymnastics."You guys are so gay together," I stated, walking past him.

"Don't make fun of my bromances, woman," he called after me.

I looked back, laughing. He followed me, wrapping his arms around my waist so I couldn't walk anymore.

"We ever gonna talk about it?" Troy wondered, letting me go almost as fast as he caught me. "I mean, we spent all of lunch talking about school, and your reluctance to let me read anything you write," he reminded me.

I turned around while he spoke. "Are you okay with it?" I asked, worry growing within me.

"Are you?" he questioned. "I mean, it was your virginity," he reminded me. "I want to know what you think because I know you wanted something happen, I'm just not sure if sex was it," he told me. "Girls usually make a big deal about this sort of thing."

I shrugged. "I didn't," I assured him. "You know I'm not like other girls, I didn't grow up like other girls do. My virginity was never a big thing to me like it is to Kelsi and Taylor. I've wanted to get rid of it, truthfully. Just because I felt that way, though, doesn't mean I didn't want it to be with someone I really care about, and like, you know?" I asked. "Are you okay with it?"

"I wanted it," he started to answer. "I've liked you since the week I met you. It's just, after the last girl I was with, which was friend's with benefits, I promised myself the next time I did it with a girl, I would be in a relationship," he managed to say.

I felt like a car was crushing my chest. "Oh," I muttered, looking down.

"No, Brie, don't do that," Troy said, obviously seeing my hurt. He lifted my chin until I would look into his eyes. "You didn't let me finish. I don't regret what we did, really, I don't. The other week, when you told me you were a virgin, you do realize that I told myself I wanted to be the one to be your first, right?" he questioned.

I shook my head. "No," I got out.

"Well, I did. I like you, Brie, I do. More than I've ever liked another girl. Which is why I'm asking you this. Brie, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked.

I was shocked. I blinked. Huh? "I-I don't know."

I don't know? What?!

* * *

**Cliffy. Sorry.**

**Review please.**

**I know it's sudden for her to lose her virginity, and sorry I didn't do a sex scene. I suck at those.**

**Review!**

**-- Kayleigh**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the next chapter.**

**Chapter 5**

**Review please.**

**It's short, sorry.**

**AN: I want you to know that after the next chapter, this is going on a bit of a hiatus, but not because I am out of ideas. I just don't want to make something happen that hasn't, you know? I understand stand, so I hope you do. I want this to realistic as possible seeing as it is after my life (if Troy existed, or took interest in me). The seventh chapter could be in two weeks, it could be in a month, I don't know. It is not discontinued, or done, just on hold until something happens. Sorry, but I think this is for the best.**

* * *

I couldn't believe I had said that. Who was I just a minute ago? I just told the boy I've had a monster crush on for two months I don't know if I want to be his girlfriend, and ran out of his house! I'm fucking retarded. I thought about this while running to my house. I felt like running into a tree just because I deserved it.

How could I do that him? What does he think? Is he mad? Pissed? Let down? I don't know, because like a pussy, I ran off. If he was pissed, hurt, whatever, I deserved to be bitched at by him, if he wanted to, of course.

Part of me felt like it was some joke. What he was saying all some lie at my expense, that maybe Sharpay was going to pop out from behind the curtains with a camera to record my embarrassment. Yes, I think like this. But, she wouldn't have, it wasn't a joke. He told me he likes me more than any other girl, he asked me to be his fucking girlfriend! And, I just bailed?! What the hell.

It couldn't be real, Troy Bolton couldn't like me, at least more than a friend. What the hell am I thinking? Yes, he does! He said it himself. I need to seriously beat myself up later.

I was running for my door, finally at my house, when I came into contact with another body. We collided, both falling roughly to the ground, in pain. "Motherfucker," I swore, shooting pain going through my ass.

"What the- Gabi?" the other person said, a male.

"Jason," I mumbled under my breath, attempting to move. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, so I just kept running," I apologized. Jason Cross is my ex-crush as I've said before. He's almost nineteen, but still in high school because he failed last year having gotten to invloved with drugs. I'm not sure if his parents know that that is the reason, though. So, that means he's a senior. I don't see him often, we have no classes together, nor is my locker near his, and I don't see him in the halls. Him and my brother have an on-again, off-again friendship. They'll hang out a lot, get sick of each other, hang out with other friends, do other shit, then repeat the process.

"Why the hell were you running?" he questioned, standing up, and helped me up like a gentlemen. Jason is one of those good guys, you know, besides the hard drugs he does.

I took his hand to help me. "Sorry. I, uh, heard it was going to rain, so I wanted to get home before it did," I lied, dusting my pants off. As I dusted my pants off I realized I left my shit in Troy's car. My purse, and bag, which has clothes, my iPod, and my cell phone. Damn it.

"It's supposed to rain today?" Jason asked, not sure of my answer, then looked up at the sky.

I nodded. "My dad told me it was, so I assumed," I finished my lie up. "You know what they say about people who assume. Sorry," I apologized again.

Jason smiled at me. "Stop saying that. You think that's the first time I've hit the ground that hard?" he asked, laughing a little.

"You play baseball or something, don't you?" I remembered.

He nodded. "Yeah, or at least, I did. I didn't see you on your birthday, did I? Nick mentioned it when we went camping," he told me. It is technically camping, but it's like a hippie camp they go to and get messed up on drugs for the whole weekend. It's why Nick loves it.

"It was actually the weekend he went camping," I informed him, thinking about how I am going to get my shit back from Troy. If he's mad what will I do? I need that shit.

Jason shook his head, the smile still on his face. "Well, happy birthday," he stated.

"Thanks," I responded, then hugged him when he opened his arms to in for one.

We pulled away a few moments later. "So, you get a high five," he admitted, making me laugh. "You want it now or later?" he wondered.

I laughed some more. "I think I'll take it now," I answered, so we both raised our hands and high fived, laughing. It was then that I heard a car door slammed shut, and both Jason and I turned to see Troy. Uh oh. I realized me and Jason's hands were still connected because the car door interuppted our high five. I quickly removed it. I cleared my throat. "Troy," I muttered, my stomach bubbling with worry and anticipation.

In his hands were my bags. "You left these in my house," he told me, handing them to me.

"I- thanks," I mumbled, taking them. He didn't look too happy. "Um, Troy this is Jason, one of Nick's friend's. Jason this is Troy, a friend of mine and Nick's," I introduced them. "Have you gets met before?" I questioned under pressure when neither of them said anything. Then again, it's not like I left any time for either of them to say anything.

Jason spoke first. "We've never really been introduced, but we've hung out with Nick before," he told me.

Troy nodded curtly. "Uh-huh. Brie, I need to talk to you," he said, looking directly at me.

"I- okay. We should probably go inside. You know, it's supposed to rain today," I mentioned, turning around to open the door.

The dogs all started barking, mostly at Jason, they all knew Troy. Nick was on the couch. "What's up, man, you said you'd be here, like, ten minutes ago," Nick said as him and Jason slapped hands.

"Yeah, sorry. There was a little traffic, then I ran into Gabi," Jason told him, then sat down on the couch.

This was the first time seeing a member of my family since I lost my virginity. The fact that I had now done something that Nick had done, well, something both my brother's had done. Like, him and Tony, and Lauren, along with my parents, and everyone I know, will go on thinking I'm a virgin, when I'm not. Interesting. Lauren hasn't done it because she wants to be in a serious relationship, in love, blah blah blah. Like she has time for that, all she does is go to work, and go to sleep.

"So, I was telling her happy birthday since we missed it," he went on.

I was just standing there, with Troy behind me. "It was a great time," Troy spoke up from behind me. "Anyways, Gabriella, I need to talk to you about that thing," he reminded me.

"Dude, I need to talk you for a minute first," Nick commented, putting out his cig into the ash tray as he stood.

"Nick-"

"Troy, we gotta fuckin' do something," Nick interrupted him oh-so-politely.

Troy sighed from behind me. "Fine, man, but it has to be quick. I still have to talk to Gabriella, then finish cleaning my house," he reminded me.

"Alright, chill, my sister isn't that important," Nick assured him as they all went to go down the steps. Oh, thanks, big brother.

Troy went last. "Yeah, you are. We need to talk, Brie," he said again, then continued on down the steps.

How did today turn out like this? I mean, it was around the morning hours last night, midnightish, that everything was perfect, I was losing my virginity, maybe a little before then. Still, I was having sex, with Troy, then, and I was loving it. I was enjoying is, savouring it, treasuring every feeling because I am a girl like that. Then, this morning I woke up, was happy, couldn't get the smile off my face, then I went out with Troy. Things were still great, I was with him, then he had to ask that stupid question.

Will I be his girlfriend?

Damn those five words.

I was thinking about this as I went up to my room, and picked up my room a little. It was busy work, and I had the time. It was almost twenty minutes before there was a knock on my door, then it opened. By this time I was cursing myself, laying on my bed listening to music, like normal.

"Hi," I greeted stupidly, sitting up. He nodded a hello, closing and locking my door behind him. "So-"

"Let's start off by saying what the fuck?" Troy suggested, standing in front of my book. "I mean, really, Gabriella, what the hell?"

I stood, too. "Look, I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to say," I told him honestly.

"You don't know what to say?" he questioned, sounding pissed. "I asked you to be my girlfriend, Gabriella, that is a yes or no question," he informed me.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up, irritated.

"How can you not know?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I repeated.

Troy looked madder. "Okay. Let me make this easy for you. Do you like me?" he wondered.

I crossed my arms. "Yes," I answered.

"Would you like to be with me?" he questioned.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I didn't look at him. "Yeah," I mumbled.

"Then why wouldn't you want to be together?" he asked.

"I don't know," I told him again.

He laughed sarcastically. "Alright. Explain this to me. How can you be best friends with me, best friends with benefits as of last night, like me, have me take your virginity, be happy with that, and not want to be my girlfriend?" he listed off on his fingers.

"I guess," I tried to give an answer.

"That doesn't even answer the question, or make sense," Troy informed me. We were both quiet for minute. "I don't know what to do about this then, Gabriella," he stated. "I know this makes me a pussy, and I'll admit that, but I don't think I can keep doing this if we can't be together," he confessed.

My eyes snapped up to his. "What does that mean? Can't keep doing what?" I questioned. Please don't say what I think you are about to.

"Whatever the fuck it is we're doing," he answered simply. "Friends."

My heart flew to my throat, where a lump formed, which was not good. "So, you're saying we can't be friends anymore?" I asked in a cracked voice. "Troy, you're one of my best friends, my best guy friend, how can you just say we can stop our friendship like that?" I wondered.

"Because it's the way I feel," he replied, shrugging a little. "I guess that means it's all or nothing," he summed up.

I tried to stop the tears forming in my eyes. "That's not fair," I stated.

"Life isn't fair," Troy responded.

Anger flared within me. "You think I don't know life isn't fair?" I asked, getting pissed myself. "Have you taken a look at my life? My family is all around fucked up, I barely let people in, and I let you in quicker than I have anyone else, and you're telling me if I don't fuck you, we can't be anything," I told him.

"It's not about the sex!" he assured me loudly. "And, I know your life is fucked up, but knowing how I feel, I can't just be your best friend," he said. "Not after what happened last night," he added.

I bypassed him, going to my door. "Fine, then, go," I ordered, fumbling with the lock. "Break the promise you made me on my birthday that you wouldn't be just another disappointment," I told him, finally opening it. "Go."

"Brie, that's not what I am trying do to, I don't want to break my promise. You're making me, because you are making absolutely no fucking sense," he replied.

"Okay. I'm making no sense, it still leaves us where we are," I agreed. "We're not anything, not anymore, you can go now," I told him coldly.

And, just like that, Troy walked out of my room, down the steps, and out the door. Basically, out of my life.

As soon as he was gone, I slammed the door behind him, then sat down on my bed, tears streaming down my face as I wondered why the hell I am acting this way.

I spent the rest of the night in my room, teary, and depressed. I spent the rest of the weekend like that, actually. I fell into a deeper depression when I came across pictures Taylor and I recently developed. The photos were of us, Troy and I, Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, Ryan, all of us. At Troy's house. But, since these were my share of pictures, almost all of them were of me and Troy. We were happy, cuddly, looking like a couple.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that I didn't know why I was holding back, hurting myself and Troy. It wasn't fair that I had just lost my best friend because I'm an idiot. It wasn't fair that I had just lost my virginity yesterday (technically the day before yesterday, whatever) and today it felt like my life was falling apart, or at least, my love life. It wasn't fair that I had become one of those girls who felt like nothing when the guy they like left their life, but that was the way it is. Life isn't fair, and you deal with it. I should know that better than anyone, but I guess I just never learned that lesson too well.

-

Monday morning, I woke earlier, and got ready quicker because Troy wasn't coming for me like I had grown accustomed. I got on the bus, ignoring the surprised faces the nosy kids also taking it, who were wondering why I was on it. I went to my locker, like usual, and tried not to dwell on the lonliness I was feeling because Troy wasn't with me, making me laugh. I miss laughing. It increases five years on your life, you know. It's a fact.

I went to the emo corner, happy Troy wasn't any where to be seen, and plopped down onto the floor. I was wearing red sweatpants, an old black snoop neck t-shirt, a hoodie that I had left in my locker, and my usual converse. I put my hair up in a bun.

"Alright, I'll bite, what's up?" Taylor asked from above me. "Wait, why are you here? Troy and Chad aren't here yet," she said.

"I messed up, Tay," I started to tell her, looking up at her. She saw how sad I looked, and bent down to my level. "Troy said he wanted to be with me, and I said I don't know. Long story short, he said if I couldn't be with him, we couldn't be anything," I explained.

After hearing this, Taylor just sat down. "Gabi, why? You like him so much, you let him take your-"

"I know, Taylor," I cut her off. "I don't know why, I don't know anything, I just can't do it," I offered her feebly.

"Do what?" she questioned in a low voice, looking worriedly at me.

I shrugged. "I don't know, that's the problem," I answered. "Everything was so great Friday!" I reminded myself, and my best friend. "God, this is all my fault," I cursed myself.

"Hey, Gabi, what's wrong?" Kelsi wondered innocently as she walked up, Ryan at her side.

Taylor, Kelsi, and I all looked at Ryan. "What? Oh, fine. I'll go find Chad and Troy, then," he said, leaving with a kiss pressed to Kelsi's cheek.

"Troy and I aren't friends anymore," I told her, causing her to be surprised. "Kels, we've been fooling around for over a week, we had sex Friday night, on Saturday he asked me to be his girlfriend, I said I don't know, and he said if we can't be together, we can't be anything," I caught her up.

Kelsi looked to Taylor for confirmation, like I was lying to her. Taylor merely nodded. "Wow," she stated.

"Yeah," Taylor agreed. "I honestly don't know what to say," she admitted.

"He's a jerk!" Kelsi insisted, already sitting down with us. "That's not fair, just because for some odd reason you said 'I don't know' he said no to everything? That's mean," she explained.

"It's not his fault, Kels. I could have said yes, I wanted to but.." I trailed off.

Taylor bumped my knee with her hand. "But what?" she asked.

I shrugged again. "I'm really starting to fucking hate saying I don't know," I informed them, running a hand down my face. "I just- I just couldn't say yes," I tried to get out. "I've never met someone as great as him. I mean, he's so sweet, and hott, and I don't know, everything that he is is so much more than me," I managed. "And, I couldn't say yes, because with the few boyfriends I've had before, I never commited myself fully, not even Chase. With Chase, I could have if he stayed longer, but he didn't, so I didn't. It was like a get out of jail free card."

I shook my head, looking away from my friends. "Gabi," Kelsi stopped, unsure. "You're the coolest person I know, that may not be a lot coming from me, but you are. Troy may be great, but so are you," she assured me.

"Thank you for believing that, Kels, but I don't," I replied. "And, please don't get into this big speech about how great and cool I am," I pleaded nicely.

"I know I'm a ditz sometimes," Taylor started. "Well, out of the three of us, we're all kinda ditzy," she said, laughing a little. "But, I know how hard it is to be afraid of a relationship. I was scared of getting together with Chad, but I did. I told him how scared I was, then he told me he was scared, too. It's not easy being vulnerable, but you have to risk it. Without the risk, what is there?" she questioned, being very deep.

I nodded. "I know, but if you don't take risks, you don't get hurt," I told them simply.

"What do you think you're feeling right now?" Kelsi asked.

I let out a sigh. "Guys, thanks for talking with me, really, it did help a little. But, I don't want to talk about it anymore," I told them. I started to stand. I heard the laugh I hate, making me turn. Troy was over with the popular kids, right next to Sharpay who had an arm thrown around him, laughing at something he had said. He wrapped a lazy arm around her waist, still speaking. It felt like she won, and I hated it. "I'll see you guys in class," I muttered, leaving.

I went in the opposite direction of the art wing, annoyed, pissed, and hurt. I walked for a little, dodging people, as well as objects being thrown, and made disgusted faces at people who were making out. Do the teachers ever break that up, really.

"Gabi," a male voice called out, making me glance towards it.

Jason. He left his group of friends, I knew a couple of them, who nodded their heads at me, but the rest I didn't know. "Hey, Jase," I greeted, pulling my bag strap further on my shoulder.

"This is weird, I feel like I never see you," he commented, smiling at me.

"Yeah, I know. My first class is on the other side of the school. I felt like being late, I guess," I told him.

He shrugged. "It's alright, I'll walk you to class so you aren't late," he suggested.

"You don't have to. If you do that, you'll be late. I'll be okay," I assured him.

"Gab, I have astrology first period, all I do is sleep anyways," he informed me.

I cracked a smile at him. "Jason, if you want to graduate this year, you should probably pay attention in your classes," I teased.

"You do realize that to pass astrology, all you do is show up, right?" he questioned. Our school has a built in dome that somehow makes it look like the night sky. They use a series of lights, and this big black thing, I don't know. It is a good place to sleep, though, comfy couches for everyone. "Besides, if they didn't want us to be comfortable, they wouldn't have made the chairs practically recliners," he added.

I laughed now. "True," I agreed. "I have art, I can be late, too," I told him.

"Well, I want to walk you anyways. If I don't, you'll tell your brother on me like you did last year, which got me bitched at," he reminded me.

"That was a joke!" I said. "I was joking when I asked you to walk me to class." Eh, kinda. That was when I had a huge crush on him. He said no, I told Nick, just to see what he would do. Sometimes, rare times, Nick kinda cares.

Jason shrugged again. "Don't care," he replied, nodding his head towards the hallway, which was less packed because people are starting to clear for class. "Now, come on."

Jason walked me to class, walking the whole way around the school. As soon as we got near my art room, the bell went off. "If you get in trouble, well, have fun with that," I joked as we stopped in front of my class.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Jason assured me, moving his dark hair from his face. Jason, like most guys around, grew out his hair a little, but his swooshes out, instead of to a side.

"Thanks for walking me, Jason," I thanked him, smiling appreciatively. "I needed a laugh today," I admitted. He did a really good job of entertaining me.

"Then, it was worth it, even if I get in trouble," he replied, smiling back at me. "I should get going, my class is on the other side of the school," he reminded me.

Jason and I hugged for a moment. "I'll see you later," I said in goodbye. He nodded, turning around to go down the hall. As I watched him go, I noticed Troy walking down the very long hall. When he passed Jason, he didn't say anything, he didn't even look at him. When I saw Troy, walking towards me, it pulled on my heart.

I only watched for a moment later, then went into class, not wanting to stay there until he made it to me. I didn't want to just sit there while he walked on by me like we never meant anything to each other. Geez, I'm talking like we were together. Well, in a way, we were, he was my best friend.

I went to my usual art table, I found Taylor sitting in Troy's regular place. I mouthed 'thank you', knowing Troy was behind me. She merely nodded, sending a mean look Troy's way. He actually sat at our table.

"What took you so long, man?" Chad questioned Troy as he sat down.

Troy shrugged, leaning back in his new seat, letting out a deep breath. "Had something to do," he responded vaguely.

"What were you doing, then?" Chad asked, looking towards me.

"Me?" I wondered, and he nodded. "Uh, was walking with an old friend," I answered. "Why, Chad, you worried about my whereabouts?" I teased, throwing my crap on the ground. Mr. Waters wasn't even in the room yet. He is probably talking to another art teacher as he does sometimes, for a long time.

Chad shook his head. "Nah, I hoped you and Troy made up because you're obviously fighting or something," he offered.

"We're not fighting, Chad," Troy spoke up, looking into my eyes. My heart gained hope. "We're not anything," he added, and just like that, my heart dropped to the ground.

-

"Why the fuck you hanging around the house so much now?" Nick asked me on Thursday. I was laying on the couch, reading a book. "Didn't you get a life only a few weeks ago? What, lost it already?" he questioned, grabbing my book from me, and threw it onto the edge of the other couch.

I glared, pissed. "Why the hell have you noticed? Maybe you should go out more," I replied, somewhat bravely, sitting up.

"When I'm home, I have friends over, all you do is watch TV," Nick told me, sitting down on the couch. "It's fucking annoying."

"You're annoying," I informed him, getting off the couch with him to sit on the other one. "Why do you always have to rag on my life, huh?" I wondered. "Take a look around at yours," I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" Nick challenged me.

I am so not in mood for this shit. I'm having the worst week of my life. Troy is in almost all of my classes, in most of which, he sits next to me, and doesn't speak one word to me. When we have group work, he goes and works with the snotty bitches, making them laugh, and not getting anything done. He used to pull on my desk until it was all the way next to his, stating I was his partner, and that he didn't care what I wanted. Deep down, I loved when he did it. He used to bother me, playing with my hair, poking my bag, throwing things at me, now he just sits there and twirls his pencil. Since Monday, I go and walk around with Jason every day. I'm late to art every day, and Troy is always a few moments later than me.

He sits with us at lunch a little, but always switches tables. He's getting in more trouble in class, he's not doing any work, most of the time he just sits there, listening to his iPod. I would know, I think I am a stalker. I've been hanging out with Jason, yeah, but I only see him as a friend now, not even a crush. He's funny, and nice, and makes me laugh, like Troy used to. Troy was better at it, he was better at everything. I miss him so damn much. It sucks being disconnected from your best friend. Thank God I have Taylor and Kelsi. Even Chad and Ryan.

"Get the fuck out of my life, all you do is bring misery to it anyways," I flipped out, getting up, and threw my book at the wall next to Nick.

"Gabi, what the hell!" Nick shouted after me.

"Why don't you just go to hell?" I questioned, running up the steps. I slammed and locked the door behind me. I was close to tears, I've never really stood up to Nick before. I didn't care, everything seemed to suck this week. I brought my knees up to my chest, crying.

Nick's right, I did finally get a life a few weeks ago, when Troy came into my life. When we were friends, I was always doing something. Hanging out with him here, or at his house, or with other friends we had. If I wasn't hanging out with him, he at least had a car and didn't mind dropping me off at a friend's house, then my sister would pick me up. If I wasn't doing anything like that, I was writing on the computer, or in my room listening to music, or doing homework. It seemed like for the first time in my life, I was a normal teenager. I miss him, fuck I miss him so much. How sad is that? It's been five days!

I was scared, like normal. I refused to take chances, like normal. I was holding back, like normal. Instead of disappointing me, I disappointed him. I was just scared he would- I was scared he would be disappointed in me after we got together, there I admitted it. What if we got together and he realized how much of a boring joke I am? I couldn't take that, so I said no. I said no, and I regret it.

We didn't have school Friday, because it was the start of Christmas vacation. It was rainy, and dreary, and windy, and everything horrible you don't want for Christmas. Christmas wasn't until Monday anyways. I was bored, I was boreder than bored, I was laying on my floor, facing the balcony watching the waterfall fall down onto the wood. We haven't cleaned our gutters in a long time, it gives a waterfall effect. No one was even home.

I got up, sighing. I saw the piano, shrugged, and decided to play a little. I lifted up the covering, thinking of what to play. I went with Forever and Almost Always, by Kate Voegle. I started playing. I love this song, but it made me more sad.

"In an ordinary fairytale land,  
There's a promise of a perfect happy end  
And I imagine having just short of that  
Is better than nothing"

I sang, my fingers gliding over the keys.

"So you'll be mine, forever and almost always  
And I'll be fine, just love me when you can, yeah  
And I'll wait patiently, and I'll wake up everyday just hoping that  
You still care..."

Yeah, definitely not the best song to be playing, but I continued anyways.

"What am I still doing here? Oh....  
It's all becoming so clear.

You'll be mine, forever and almost always  
It ain't right, to just love me when you can, oh  
I won't wait patiently, or wake up everyday just hoping that  
You'll still care..."

I closed it, more despressed than before. I don't want Troy later, I want him now, I have a choice.

I was sick of everything going on in the past week. I was sick of missing Troy, of hating myself for causing this whole problem, of doing nothing about it, and I was sick of moping around the house like I am worthless. Moping around the house, and dwelling on everything was making me worthless.

I stood up, grabbed a black hoodie to throw on over my jeans and t-shirt, and ran out of the house. I ran out into the rain, concluding it sucked as soon as I did. I ran through backyards, sliding on mud, and getting barked at by dogs. I even fell down a hill once, but I didn't care. I didn't care, I needed to get this out, I couldn't keep in it, I couldn't keep wondering what if anymore, I just couldn't.

I went to Troy's house. I saw two cars in his driveway, one being Troy's. The other wasn't his parents, either of them, but I didn't care. I ran up the steps, then proceeded to pound on the door. I pounded until someone answered. It wasn't Troy, his mom or his dad. It was the beautiful girl in the picture in his room. Abby.

"Yeah?" she asked over the rain.

"Is Troy here?" I questioned back, completely drenched from head to toe.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll get him. Do you want to come in or something?" she wondered.

I shook my head. "No, I want Troy," I answered.

She looked at me strangely, then disappeared into the house. There were sounds of feet on steps a few long moments later. "Gabriella? What the fuck are you doing here?" he questioned, opening the door.

"Can you come out here?" I asked, ignoring his question. He looked skeptical. "Please," I pleaded, then he did it, starting to get wet himself. "I get jealous a lot," I confessed. "Too much. I get envious, too, of more than I'd like to admit. I hate watching you in the halls with all those other girls, especially Sharpay. I hate when you flirt with them, and I miss you flirting with me."

Troy's face softened. "Brie-"

I shook my head. "Let me finish," I ordered, shutting him up. "I'm too sensitive, I take a lot of things to heart, and it hurts me. I know I'm relatively skinny, and I may be pretty, but I've never felt like it. You're the first boy who has ever called me beautiful, or gorgeous, and sexy, and you're probably the only boy I'll ever believe, even though I don't want to because in the back of my head I wonder how many girls you've told that to. I talk too much, and too fast when I get excited or nervous. I put myself down, giving me no self-confidence or esteem," I went on. "As much as Nick hates me, and I don't like him, I know I'll still always seek his approval, never getting it. I can be annoying, and overbearing, and I hate it because I don't mean to be. I'm more of a home body most of the time, and would rather hang out in my room, or yours, listening to music, and just talking. I'm needy, I know that, and I know that pisses off most guys," I told him, yelling this all over the rain and wind. "I've told a lot of people that I've smoked weed, or done some kind of pills, because I know it's expected of me when I never have. My last name is Montez, I'm supposed to be bad. I lie too much, telling everyone how close me and my siblings are, when we're really far apart. The truth us, Lauren, Tony, and Nick are close between the three of them, but I'm not. I know I'll never have the bond they do with each other, and that kills me inside. I'm nothing special," Another ball was forming in my throat.

I stopped for a second, pushing hair away from my face as I shivered. "I-" Troy started, but I shook my head.

"I've never seen a functional relationship, Troy, and you asked me to be in one," I went on. "I don't know how to do that, Troy, even though I want to. I want to be with you so bad, I hate myself for saying no to you last week. I want this Troy," I admitted, pointing from him to be. "But, I was afraid, and nervous, like always. I was afraid that if we got together, and I let every single guard down, and actually gave you my heart, you would see me for who I really am. I'm boring, and stupid, and not good enough for you. I couldn't take giving you everything I had, which I would. I would give you everything because I like and want you that much, I couldn't take giving you my all only for you to drop me," I finally got out.

I stopped again.

"I miss you, Troy," I told him. "I miss walking with you in the halls, and you bothering me in class. I miss you sneaking up on me, and making me hit you because of it. I miss you trying to braid my hair during history. I told you I hated it, and it made you slightly gay, but I liked it, even though I know you don't know how to braid. I miss you making me blush, and you grinning back at me. I miss you letting me play with your hair, but no one else. I miss kissing you, I really miss cuddling with you, I know that makes me a girl, don't laugh," I asked nicely. "Since I was thirteen I haven't cared about my virginity, but I am so glad I gave it to you, I don't care that we weren't together. It was with you, and that makes it perfect for me. I want to have sex with you again, but most of all I want to be something with you again. Even if it's not your girlfriend, but I would love if it was," I finished.

It was still raining really bad, I was soaking wet, and Troy was getting drenched. We looked at each other for a few moments.

"So, I'm going to go now. I'll see you when I see you," I mumbled, leaving. I turned around walked down the steps, then ran away.

* * *

**Here you go. It's less than most my chapters, sorry for that, but I felt that a lot happened.**

**Review please.**

**Me likey.**

**-- Kayleigh**


	6. Chapter 6AN

********

**Hello. **

I am giving this author's note to inform you all I intend on deleting this story. I have tried to write for it, honestly, I did. I just can't. I knew it was going to be hard, with this based off my life and all, but I just cannot do it. What I am turning this into by getting her together with Troy is something I will never get. I told my Troy how I feel and he told me I am like his litter sister, which made me cry for like a week. I barely talk to him anymore, and I still like him and miss him, and I can't fantasize what we should be while making this story. It's not mentally healthy for me, and I will never get over him, and that is already too hard to do.

I really am so sorry.

I do have other ideas though. I have one good one in my head I am going to try once I finish Dirty Dancing (I am trying so hard in that one too). I am not exactly sure of exactly what storylines I am going to use, I am still thinking about it. The point is, that the Gabriella in that story will be a lot like me too, only with different circumstances but still like me.

Again, I am sorry.

Now, it is up to you guys. Do you want me to delete this story of just keep it and never finish it? I won't delete it if you guys like to read the chapters, I can understand that.

And, please, do not make this turn you off of my writings. I HATE when authors stop writing and want to delete their stories, I really do. This story is just too hard for me and I can't turn it into something that isn't real in my life and act like my life is all happy and dandy when it isn't. If my Troy did say he liked me too, this would be so different. I know that is me acting with my feelings, but I can't help it.

Review what you want.

(PLEASE DON'T LET THIS TURN YOU OFF MY WRITINGS. I AM BEGGING YOU!)

- Kayleigh


	7. Chapter 7Redo?

**So...I know I have left this story untouched for about two years...but I have had such a need to write it lately...**

**I was thinking if you all wanted me to, maybe I could delete it and start all over? I know I have many, many, many stories going on right now, but I am learning how to balance more lately. I have decided to make it more of a life I wish I had, than my real life...**

**Lemme know what you guys think please. Almost all my friends are going home this weekend so I would have time to get the first chapter out probably...**

**Review/PM please in response.**

**- Kayleigh**


End file.
